ZEROBASEONE is a multinational boy group signed to Wake One Entertainment, formed through Mnet's survival audition programme *Boys Planet* and launched on 10th July 2023. The group's name follows a tradition established by the *Produce* franchise of incorporating the number "1", embodying a narrative of being "born from zero, arriving at one". The original line-up comprised nine members: Sung Hanbin, Kim Jiwoong, Zhang Hao, Seok Matthew, Kim Taerae, Ricky, Kim Gyuvin, Park Gunwook, and Han Yujin.

Rise to prominence

ZEROBASEONE wasted little time establishing itself as a defining act of K-pop's so-called fifth generation. Trading on the fresh-faced, youthful energy typical of survival-show alumni, the group generated immediate buzz and assembled a robust global fanbase within a remarkably short period.

Yet the structural constraints inherent to the *Produce* franchise applied here as well. Because each member holds an individual contract with his own management agency — a feature common to project groups of this kind — the question of who would remain once the pre-agreed activity period expired was always left to each agency's discretion. That period came to a close with the encore performances of the world tour *Here and Now*, held at the KSPO Dome in Seoul's Olympic Park from 13th to 15th March. At those final shows, the nine members revisited the signal song from *Boys Planet* — the programme that had brought them together — and performed a dedicatory track for their fans, drawing a line under two and a half years as a complete nine-piece.

Latest developments

Following the conclusion of the nine-member chapter, ZEROBASEONE reorganised as a five-piece comprising Sung Hanbin, Kim Jiwoong, Seok Matthew, Kim Taerae, and Park Gunwook. On 18th May, the reconstituted group released its sixth mini-album, *Ascend-*, marking its first comeback in the new configuration. The lead single, "TOP 5", reinterprets the dance-pop sound of the early 2000s through a contemporary lens — a deliberate departure from the bright, youthful image of the nine-member era in favour of something more polished and mature. In interviews, Park Gunwook described the five-member dynamic as offering a sensibility "opposite" to what came before, with the emphasis shifting from adolescent energy to grown-up sophistication. Sung Hanbin put it more poetically, saying that the team's signature bright blue had deepened into a richer, more mature shade. The album also features the first songwriting credit for Park Gunwook.

The group is simultaneously pressing ahead with its activities in Japan. Ahead of the release of its second Japanese EP, *回帰LOVE* (*Kaiki Love*), due on the 19th, the group has been running promotional activities in the market since last month. Less than six months after the upheaval of losing four members at once, ZEROBASEONE is juggling a domestic comeback with overseas commitments — a sign that the five-piece is moving quickly to establish its footing.

The road ahead

The central challenge facing ZEROBASEONE is whether the five remaining members can preserve the fanbase and cultural visibility that the nine-member group built. Losing four members simultaneously is a disruptive event for any act, and concerns were understandable that such a drastic reorganisation might destabilise the group's identity altogether. It is therefore encouraging that the first comeback under the new structure generated sustained attention across music charts and entertainment media alike.

Over the longer term, the more fundamental question is how convincingly ZEROBASEONE can shed its origins as a fixed-term, nine-member project group and establish a durable identity as a five-piece in its own right. Whether the group can maintain a stable trajectory while managing parallel activities in South Korea and Japan will be the next real test of its viability in this new chapter.