Photo = WAKEONE

 

Group ZEROBASEONE shared their support for their former members and discussed the process of reorganizing as a five-member group.

 

ZEROBASEONE met with Hanteo News at a cafe in Seoul on the 15th and talked about the team’s changes and future direction. On this day, KIM JIWOONG said, “Since we were once in the same team, of course I support my former colleagues, and since we are all running toward our dreams in the same way, I hope we can all do well together.”

 

Many things have changed as the group reorganized from nine members to five. PARK GUNWOOK explained, “Since there are five of us, the performance inevitably makes each individual stand out more in group choreography,” adding, “This was a comeback we prepared while thinking much more carefully about how I could help.” SUNG HANBIN shared, “We had many meetings about the strengths each of the five members has,” adding, “Performance-wise, since the five of us can be seen at a glance, I think a major change was that we thought a lot about our strengths and the points we needed to improve.”

 

They also honestly spoke about the pressure of having to prove themselves as five members. PARK GUNWOOK said, “I tend to try to enjoy pressure,” adding, “We use that pressure as stimulation and a stepping stone to move forward, and regardless of results or achievements, our shared goal is to create a good result.” He continued, “The charm nine members can create and the charm five members can create are different, and as the five-member ZEROBASEONE, we are preparing for activities with the feeling of tailoring and wearing new clothes musically and visually.” SUNG HANBIN said, “Because we chose this team, I think we also have to take responsibility for that, so we are preparing even harder,” adding, “If there were areas we lacked, members voluntarily re-recorded, and when mixing the choreography, we gave many opinions, including remixing it to better fit our bodies.”

 

They also shared why these five members decided to remain in ZEROBASEONE. SEOK MATTHEW said, “I really liked being together with the members, so I never thought about doing it alone,” adding, “If we could continue for as long as possible, I wanted to keep going.” SUNG HANBIN said, “We talked a lot about how lucky and fateful it felt for members with the same heart to meet,” adding, “Since our ZEROSE are always part of our goals, we made this decision with the thought that fans would like to see us.” PARK GUNWOOK shared, “Even as people, I was certain that I wanted to continue being in a team with these kinds of people,” adding, “Preparing for activities as five members has been a time that gave me even more confidence in the choice I made.”

 

When asked whether they felt more mentally at ease after renewing their contracts, SUNG HANBIN firmly said, “Actually, it doesn’t make us feel more relaxed.” He explained, “Rather, there is more pressure, and when it comes to music, I personally have a strong desire to challenge myself in terms of what kind of image we should show going forward,” adding, “Because we were able to debut and come out into the world as this team, everyone has a strong desire to carry that gratitude and maintain the home called ZB1 as much as possible.”

 

They remain open about the remaining period of activities. SUNG HANBIN said, “Nothing has been discussed exactly yet, and we are trying to show as much as possible.” PARK GUNWOOK added, “The members often talk about promoting for a long time, making music for a long time, and lasting for a long time,” adding, “Unless our relationship becomes seriously strained on a human level, I think we’ll be able to see each other for a long time.”

 

PARK GUNWOOK, who became the true maknae after the group became five members, said with a laugh, “Since I was 16, I was always the youngest in public settings, and I’m also the youngest at home,” adding, “The hyungs are so close to me and treat me well, so I don’t have to worry much and I feel like I can read the room a little less.”

 

The members’ friendship also draws attention. They often meet even during personal time outside of schedules. SUNG HANBIN shared, “Since the beginning of our debut, people said the members often went out to eat together and that our relationship looked good, and the fact that we have maintained that until now is our strength.” The member who leads the gatherings is SEOK MATTHEW, who hinted, “JIWOONG hyung is busy, so he doesn’t come out often.” KIM JIWOONG responded to SUNG HANBIN’s words that the members are “just people I’m thankful for,” saying, “When we have a big performance, I always say we should all have dinner together before going back.”

 

ZEROBASEONE’s 6th mini album ‘Ascend-’ will be released today at 6 PM through various music platforms. Attention is focused on what kind of record ZEROBASEONE, who recorded 1,514,370 initial chodong sales with their 1st full-length album ‘NEVER SAY NEVER’ last September, will write with this album.