ALPHA DRIVE ONE Members, Ages, Nationalities and New Album UNBREAKABLE Explained
ALPHA DRIVE ONE — known to fans as ALD1 — has officially returned. On August 24, 2026, at 6 PM KST, the WAKEONE Entertainment project group released their second mini album, UNBREAKABLE : 少年BEAST, led by the title track “BORN DIRE.”
It’s the group’s first comeback since their explosive January debut, and it arrives at a pivotal moment for the eight-member lineup, which is currently promoting as seven due to an ongoing member hiatus.
If you’re new to ALD1 or just want the full picture before diving into the new album, here’s everything worth knowing: who’s in the group, how old they are, where they’re from, and what’s actually on UNBREAKABLE.
Who Is ALPHA DRIVE ONE?
ALPHA DRIVE ONE is a multinational boy group formed through Mnet’s survival competition Boys II Planet, which aired in the second half of 2025. The show followed the same project-group formula that produced groups like ZEROBASEONE, with trainees from multiple countries and agencies competing for a spot in the final lineup.
WAKEONE — the agency behind Wanna One and ZEROBASEONE — manages the group, and the members are signed to a five-year contract, plus a bonus “special activity” year for extra releases and concerts.
The group’s name reflects that structure: ALPHA DRIVE ONE signals a team driven to become the best, built around a singular shared goal. Their fandom is called ALLYZ.
After a pre-debut single called “Formula” in December 2025, ALD1 officially debuted on January 12, 2026, with the EP Euphoria, led by “Freak Alarm.”
The debut was a genuine industry moment — Euphoria reportedly sold over 1.44 million copies, making ALD1 only the third K-pop group ever to pass one million first-week sales with a debut album, following ZEROBASEONE and RIIZE. “Freak Alarm” also swept all three of Korea’s major terrestrial music shows with a debut single, a feat no boy group had managed in nine years.
Meet the ALPHA DRIVE ONE Members
ALPHA DRIVE ONE consists of eight members: Leo, Junseo, Arno, Geonwoo, Sangwon, Xinlong, Anxin, and Sanghyeon.
Here’s a member-by-member breakdown, including ages as of this comeback (August 2026), birthplaces, and nationalities.
Leo (리오) — Leader Birth name: Leo Lee. Born August 22, 2002, in Sydney, Australia, making him 24 years old. Leo is a second-generation Korean-Australian and the group’s leader.
Before ALD1, he had already debuted as a solo artist under 131 Label with the single “One Look” in 2023, and he was part of the pre-debut duo/trainee project Trainee A alongside groupmate Sangwon. He and Sangwon also perform together as the duo Leo & Sangwon.
Junseo (준서) Birth name: Kim Junseo. Born November 20, 2001, in Ulsan, South Korea, making him 24 years old and the oldest member of the group.
Junseo has one of the most experienced resumes in ALD1: he was previously part of the project group 1THE9 and later the maknae of WEi, and he’s known for his songwriting and composing credits on tracks like 1THE9’s “Blah” and WEi’s “Hug You” and “Diffuser.” He’s also acted, making his debut in the 2025 drama Secret Relationship.
Arno (아르노) Birth name: Zhang Jiahao. Born July 7, 2002, in Shenzhen, Guangdong, China, making him 24 years old. Arno is one of three Chinese members in the group, bringing a strong presence in the group’s Chinese-market promotion.
Geonwoo (건우) — currently on hiatus Birth name: Kim Geonwoo. Born April 11, 2003, in Jeonju, South Korea, making him 23 years old. Geonwoo trained for years under companies including Source Music, Cube Entertainment, and Bill Entertainment before joining WAKEONE.
In April 2026, WAKEONE announced that Geonwoo would step back from group activities following allegations regarding inappropriate remarks made on a hot mic during a pre-debut broadcast. He issued a handwritten apology to fans, and the agency has not announced a return date. As a result, ALD1 is currently promoting UNBREAKABLE : 少年BEAST as a seven-member group.
Sangwon (상원) — Center Birth name: Lee Sangwon. Born May 8, 2003, in Seoul, South Korea, making him 23 years old. Sangwon is the group’s center and visual, and he topped the Boys II Planet finale with over 7.2 million votes — the highest total of the entire season.
Like Leo, he trained under Big Hit Music’s pre-debut project Trainee A before the two continued training together at GRID Entertainment.
Xinlong (신룡) Birth name: He Xinlong. Born March 11, 2005, in Taiyuan, Shanxi, China, making him 21 years old. Xinlong isn’t a rookie to the industry — he originally debuted back in 2018 as a member of the group BOY STORY, giving him some of the most idol experience of anyone in the lineup heading into Boys II Planet, where he placed third overall.
Anxin (안신) Birth name: Zhou Anxin. Born December 25, 2006, in Kunshan, Jiangsu, China, making him 19 years old. Anxin previously appeared on the survival show MAKE MATE 1 and placed second overall on Boys II Planet — the second-highest ranking of the entire cast.
Sanghyeon (상현) — Maknae Birth name: Chung (Jeong) Sanghyeon. Born September 19, 2007, in Suwon, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea, making him 18 years old and the group’s maknae. He spent roughly five years living in the Philippines during elementary school and trained under Pledis Entertainment before joining WAKEONE.
He was voted “Visual Poster” by fellow trainees during Boys II Planet.
Quick nationality breakdown: five members are South Korean (Junseo, Geonwoo, Sangwon, Sanghyeon, and — by ethnicity — Leo), Leo himself holds Australian nationality as a Korean-Australian, and three members are Chinese nationals (Arno, Xinlong, Anxin).
It’s this mix that gives ALD1 its “global project group” identity and helps explain the group’s traction across Korean, Chinese, and international fan communities.
What’s on UNBREAKABLE : 少年BEAST
UNBREAKABLE : 少年BEAST is ALD1’s second mini album and their first comeback since debut.
WAKEONE built out a full promotional rollout through August, including solo and group trailer posters, three separate concept photo and film sets (“Fragile Beast,” “Cementic Nest,” and “Hissing”), a track list reveal, a highlight medley, and two separate music video teasers before the album’s release on August 24 at 6 PM KST.
The title track is “BORN DIRE,” which WAKEONE previewed ahead of the full release.
The album’s concept leans into a “beast” motif — reflected in the concept film titles and the Japanese-language subtitle 少年BEAST (“Boy Beast”) — suggesting a rawer, more intense sound and visual direction than the group’s debut era.
Physical album versions are already available for pre-order internationally, including a “Nest” limited edition featuring a candle-shaped package, photocards, a folded poster, and postcards — a sign that WAKEONE is treating this comeback as a major release rather than a quiet follow-up.
To Conclude : Why This Comeback Matters
ALD1’s debut set an unusually high bar: a million-plus first-week album sales and a clean sweep of Korea’s three main music shows are numbers most rookie groups never reach. UNBREAKABLE : 少年BEAST is the first real test of whether that momentum holds — especially while the group is temporarily down to seven members.
How fans and the wider K-pop audience respond to “BORN DIRE” and the new era will say a lot about ALD1’s staying power heading into the back half of their five-year run.
For now, the group has already banked one of 2026’s most notable debuts, and UNBREAKABLE gives them a clear opportunity to prove Euphoria wasn’t a one-off.
Let our readers know, what do you think of this new group ? Who is your BIAS ?
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