The phrase “taking the bitter with the sweet” has been on my mind lately. Part of the reason is due to Madison Beer. And the other reason is related to ZEROBASEONE.
March 15, 2026 marks their last day as a nine-member group. Earlier, the nine of them stood together on the KSPO Dome stage for the final night of their three-day encore concert “HERE AND NOW.” The concert wrapped up a run that drew 30,000 fans and capped off a world tour that brought roughly 150,000 people together across the globe.
That phrase I mentioned definitely fits ZB1’s situation right now.
A Sad Day For ZEROSES
The bitter is obvious. Four members, Zhang Hao, Ricky, Kim Gyuvin, and Han Yujin, are returning to YH Entertainment (formerly Yuehua). Meanwhile, leader Sung Hanbin, Kim Jiwoong, Seok Matthew, Kim Taerae, and Park Gunwook will continue to promote as ZEROBASEONE under WAKEONE.
Gyuvin, through his tears, reflected on the day they first met and said he never imagined nine people could receive so much love. Hanbin stayed up till 6:00 a.m. to write letters for each member and the fans. Members were crying throughout the entire concert, sometimes to the point where it was a struggle to finish certain songs.
The real kicker was the ending, where each member had to walk through the door of a house set to end their final performance. Seeing the remaining three members Yujin, Hanbin and Hao failing to hold in their tears as they walked through that door was a distressing moment for fans. It left many questioning if the group is ready to be split apart and if WAKEONE’s handling of the situation is negatively affecting the group.
It’s messed up but it’s easy to forget this could have been so much worse.
ZEROBASEONE Was Supposed To Disband
ZEROBASEONE initially started out as a temporary project group consisting of the top 9 trainees from the 2023 survival competition series Boys Planet. They debuted in July of that year with their original contract set to expire in January 2026.
In December 2025, WAKEONE announced that ZB1’s contract was extended for two months and would expire in March 2026. Then the news broke of the group continuing on with five members.
The whole point of debuting a temporary group is to capitalize on a successful survival show for as long as you can. There’s a reason these types of groups are called “projects”. They exist solely to give the members exposure and their own fanbase to bring over to their original agencies.
The downside to this strategy is that fans only care about the project group. With ZEROBASEONE, what people love about them is how they went from being total strangers thrown together to forming what looks like a genuine, family-like bond. The K-pop industry is extremely competitive with dozens of groups debuting per month. Unless you’re lucky enough to sign with a big-name agency, the odds of achieving and maintaining a successful career are slim.
Why Couldn’t The Four Members Stay In ZB1?
Then there’s the fact Hanbin and Jiwoong are still with their original agencies for individual activities. All while maintaining a group contract with ZEROBASEONE. Matthew and Gunwook trusted WAKEONE enough to sign with them directly. The multi-agency arrangement clearly can work and these members are proof of it. So if it works for them, why couldn’t it work for the YH members?
That question points the finger squarely at YH Entertainment, not at the members themselves. And the way the YH four were crying at those encore concerts has some fans concerned that leaving ZEROBASEONE wasn’t entirely their decision. The truth behind why YH couldn’t or wouldn’t make an arrangement work may never be revealed to the public. And that’s something fans need to be okay with.
The four members who are returning to YH Entertainment as proven, internationally recognized artists. That is a completely different position than the one they were in before ZEROBASEONE existed. Whatever comes next for Zhang Hao, Ricky, Gyuvin, and Yujin, whether it’s solo careers or a new group, they’re not starting from zero.
Take The Bitter With The Sweet
The transition from a nine-member group to five won’t be easy for ZEROBASEONE or their fans.
But ZEROSEs need to see both the positives and the negatives in this situation. Mourn OT9 and what could have been. The past few months have been an emotional roller-coaster ride with unexpected twists and turns.
Then when the dust settles, remember how close we came to saying goodbye to ZEROBASEONE for good on March 15, 2026. While it might not be ideal, it is better for the group to continue in some capacity. ZB1 becoming a permanent artist in their own right was always against the odds, yet it happened anyway.
Plus, ZB1 is ending this chapter on a high note. Six consecutive million-selling albums since their debut. Two world tours. Winning on music shows and scooping up multiple awards, performing at music festivals around the globe. All nine members of ZEROBASEONE have accomplished a lot in a short amount of time and will (hopefully) continue to excel as they each enter the next phase of their careers.
Take the bitter with the sweet.
