In July, the first episode of the Mnet survival show “BOYS II PLANET” aired, the third season of the Planet series, which began with Girls Planet 999 (2021) and continued with Boys Planet (2023). In this season, a new 8-member boy group was formed that will soon debut under the name ALPHA DRIVE ONE (ALD1)!
If you haven't seen the show, this article is your chance to get to know the members of ALD1 a little before their debut!
In the first two seasons of the survival show, two successful groups have already emerged: the girl group Kep1er and the boy group ZEROBASEONE (ZB1). In BOYS II PLANET, a new boy group was formed that will follow in the footsteps of ZB1.
Originally, 2 episodes were aired per week; one showed the 80 Korean contestants in PLANET K and one showed the 80 Chinese contestants in PLANET C. The show shocked viewers right from the start, because for the first time contestants were eliminated in the very first round. They had no chance to unpack their suitcases, but went straight back home or to their agencies.
Since the third week, only one episode has aired, because the two groups were united in episode 5 and from then on fought together for their debut. At that point, only 80 of the original 160 participants were left: 52 PLANET K trainees and 28 PLANET C trainees.
In the next two rounds, the contestants cover K-Pop hits such as “S-Class” and “LALALALA” by Stray Kids, “Kill the Romeo” by ZEROBASEONE or “Like Jennie” by Blackpink's Jennie. With these performances, the trainees showed their potential and thrilled the viewers, who vote for their favorites every day. Millions of votes decided the fate of the future boy group.
In the second-to-last round, the young talents performed original songs for the first time, such as “Chains” and “Main Dish”. The 16 best contestants finally faced each other in the finale on September 25. They sang three more original songs and tried one last time to win the fans over.
After many nerve-wracking pauses by the host Kim Jae Joong (JX), the 8 members who will soon storm the charts were finally decided at the end of the four-hour finale!
THESE ARE THE 8 MEMBERS OF ALPHA DRIVE ONE!
The name “ALPHA DRIVE ONE” stands for a team with passion, drive and the goal of being the best. The abbreviation ALD1, which is pronounced “Aldi-one”, certainly made many international fans laugh, because it is strongly reminiscent of the supermarket chain ALDI, which is especially widespread in Europe.
We introduce you to the 8 talents who made their dream come true and won a place in the new boy group!
8. Kim Jun Seo (PLANET K)
Birthday: November 20, 2001 (Age: 23)
Jun Seo is no stranger, because he already debuted in 2019 as a member of the project group 1THE9, which was formed in the survival show “Under Nineteen”. When 1THE9 disbanded in 2020, he took the stage again a short time later as the maknae of the boy group WEi. He also made his acting debut in the BL drama "Secret Relationships".
7. Chung Sang Hyeon (PLANET K)
Birthday: September 19, 2007 (Age: 18)
Sang Hyeon was a trainee for almost 3 years and drew attention in BOYS II PLANET as a rapper and visual. Thanks to his childhood in the Philippines, he also speaks English. Sang Hyeon is the maknae of ALPHA DRIVE ONE.
6. Lee Leo (PLANET K)
Birthday: August 22, 2002 (Age: 23)
Leo was active together with Lee Sang Won for over a year in the popular pre-debut group “Trainee A” from BigHit Music, until it was disbanded in 2022. In 2023 he debuted with the digital single “One Look” and in 2024 he took part in the rap competition “Rap:Public”. In BOYS II PLANET he delighted fans with his beautiful voice.
5. Zhang Jia Hao (PLANET C)
Birthday: July 7, 2002 (Age: 23)
Jia Hao already fought for his debut in 2024 in the survival show “MAKE MATE” and even reached the finale. There, however, he only came in 10th place and narrowly missed the chance to debut in the 7-member boy group NouerA. In BOYS II PLANET he took 5th place, as he impressed there with his stage presence and his dancing. Jia Hao is the oldest member of ALPHA DRIVE ONE.
4. Kim Geon Woo (PLANET K)
Birthday: April 11, 2003 (Age: 22)
Geon Woo is an individual trainee who was not under contract with any agency during his participation in BOYS II PLANET. He trained for 7 years at various entertainment companies such as Source Music and Cube Entertainment. His efforts have paid off, because soon he will finally debut as an idol.
3. He Xin Long (PLANET C)
Birthday: March 11, 2005 (Age: 20)
Xin Long has been active as an idol the longest of all ALD1 members, because he debuted at the age of 13 in the Chinese boy group BOY STORY from JYP Entertainment. The group released its first album “Enough” in 2018. In BOYS II PLANET, Xin Long stole fans' hearts as a charismatic rapper with a deep voice.
2. Zhou An Xin (PLANET C)
Birthday: December 15, 2006 (Age: 18)
Like Zhang Jia Hao, An Xin took part in the 2024 survival show “MAKE MATE” and also reached the finale. In BOYS II PLANET he was considered a fan favorite early on and consistently ranked 2nd. In the finale, too, he won people over with his charm and his soft voice.
1. Lee Sang Won (PLANET K)
Birthday: May 8, 2003 (Age: 22)
Like Lee Leo, Lee Sang Won was a member of the pre-debut group “Trainee A” from BigHit Music. There were even plans for the two of them to debut together as a duo, but those were postponed for the time being. He was in 1st place from the very beginning and held this top position all the way to the finale, which earned him the coveted title of center of ALPHA DRIVE ONE. A FanCam of his first BOYS II PLANET stage “Whiplash (aespa)” was viewed more than 1 million times within 24 hours! Sang Won is an all-rounder who captivated fans with his friendly personality and his unique charisma.
These 8 talents are preparing for their debut as ALPHA DRIVE ONE right now. Exactly when that will be has not been announced yet, but if we look at their predecessors Kep1er and ZB1, we might get to hear the first album this year! Kep1er and ZB1 each debuted three months after the end of their respective shows. So we're betting that ALD1 will release or at least announce their first album in December. What do you think?
THE BAR FOR ALPHA DRIVE ONE IS SET VERY HIGH!
Expectations for the new boy group are high, since their predecessor ZB1 is now one of the flagship groups of the 5th K-Pop generation. Since their debut, the boy group has released one Japanese album and 6 Korean albums, most recently their first full album “Never Say Never” in September. All Korean albums have sold over 1 million copies and reached top positions in Korean and international charts!
ALD1 comes just in time, because ZB1 is expected to disband in January 2026, as the group's exclusive contract ends then. However, the end is not yet set in stone, because Kep1er is still on stage even though the girl group was supposed to split up back in July 2024. 7 of 9 members decided in negotiations to continue their journey in Kep1er and are still active together to this day. Just 2 months ago, their 8th Korean mini album “Bubble Gum” was released, including the title track of the same name.
Kep1er is the first group from Mnet’s survival shows to successfully renew their contract. Even the extremely popular girl group IZ*ONE from Produce 48 disbanded, even though fans collected signatures for petitions for months and even donated a million dollars! So the fate of ZB1 is still uncertain.
BOYS II PLANET IS NOT OVER YET!
At the end of the final episode, Mnet announced that a spin-off called PLANET C: HOME RACE will air in December. It will feature the eliminated Chinese contestants who did not win a spot in ALPHA DRIVE ONE. They get one more chance at their debut, this time in a Chinese boy group. Will you follow them along the way?
Sources: BOYS II PLANET, social media channels of ZB1 & Kep1er, List of best-selling albums in South Korea
