ZB1 to Disband in March After 2-Month Extension: What Caused the Shortened Renewal?
Project boy group ZEROBASEONE members have secured an extension of its group activities. However, the term—a mere two months—suggests that the time the group will spend with its fandom, ZEROSE, is limited, creating disappointment across the K-Pop industry.
On December 1st, WAKEONE, ZB1’s management agency, announced that all nine members had agreed to extend their activities until March [2026]. The extension was granted to finalize existing schedules, including the 2025 World Tour ‘HERE&NOW’ encore concert and the release of a new album.
The Problem of Project Success
ZEROBASEONE, which officially debuted in July 2023 following Mnet’s Boys Planet, was originally scheduled to disband next January after completing its 2.5-year contract term.
The urgency surrounding their contract came from their overwhelming success:
- All six albums released, including the first full-length album NEVER SAY NEVER, have achieved million-seller status.
- The group has successfully charted on international platforms like Billboard and Japan’s Oricon.
Despite public anticipation for a long-term renewal, especially given positive remarks from the members (“We want to continue writing ZB1’s narrative”), the result is viewed as a “half-hearted” compromise.
The Two-Month Reality Check
The decision to extend the contract for only two months is highly unusual, signaling that this is merely a temporary solution to wrap up the existing commitments rather than a long-term plan.
Industry analysis suggests this short extension is the most pragmatic outcome:
- Original Agency Plans: “A long-term contract extension would realistically have been difficult, as the original agencies of each member have already prepared individual plans for after ZEROBASEONE’s activities end.”
- Boy Group Value: “Boy groups have relatively stronger album sales than girl groups. The confidence of the original agencies that the members can achieve sufficient results in individual activities likely also played a role.”
The unusual duration suggests that the final four months of activity will serve as the group’s grand finale. ZB1’s extension marks the first successful instance for a boy group from an Mnet survival show. Attention will now turn to their brief two-month coexistence with the debut group from Boys2Planet, Alpha Drive One, which is set to debut next January 12th.
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