ZEROBASEONE Staying Together! Here's Why Everyone Was Worried

ZEROBASEONE's Project Group Status

• 💡 ZEROBASEONE (ZB1) was formed through Mnet's Boys Planet, signing 2.5-year contracts with Wake One Entertainment and debuting in July 2023.
• 📌 The group was always intended to be a project group with a limited lifespan, initially set to conclude in January 2026.

Contract Extension & Rising Concerns

• ✅ All nine members agreed to extend their promotional period by two months to March 2026, including encore concerts and a new album, which initially sparked hopes for permanence.
• ⚠️ However, YH Entertainment, agency for four members (Zhang Hao, Ricky, Gyuvin, Yujin), issued a vague statement on January 12th about "restructuring members' future paths," causing significant fan anxiety.

Speculation and Industry Parallels

• 🔍 Fans quickly drew parallels to EVNNE's recent lineup change, where two members returned to YH Entertainment, suggesting a similar fate for ZB1's YH-signed members.
• 💡 A prominent theory emerged that YH Entertainment intended to form a new boy group combining their ZB1 members with former EVNNE members to maximize their commercial value.
• 📰 A Tenasia report on January 14th claimed only five members (Hanbin, Jiwoong, Matthew, Taerae, Gunwook) would continue ZB1 activities, with YH members pursuing different directions.

Factors Against Group Continuation

• ❌ The original companies of the members were unlikely to transfer contracts to Wake One without seeking to profit from their popularity first.
• 📊 The potential loss of popular members like Zhang Hao and Ricky, who drive significant album sales in China, would sharply impact the group's commercial viability.
• ⏳ Jiwoong's upcoming military enlistment would further reduce the group to four members, making continuation less feasible for Wake One.

Individual Member Futures

• 🌱 Despite the group's eventual disbandment, members are reportedly working on the next chapters of their careers, with fans anticipating their individual journeys.
• 🚀 While Wake One could offer better opportunities for some members from smaller agencies, the overall consensus was that disbandment was the most realistic outcome for the project group.