K-pop group ALPHA DRIVE ONE member Kim Geon-woo will be suspending his activities.
WAKEONE, the agency representing ALPHA DRIVE ONE, announced on the 8th with an official statement: “We are responsible for supporting our artists to focus on their activities in a stable environment and for managing them to uphold the basic attitudes and standards required of an artist. We deeply regret and take heavy responsibility for not fully understanding this responsibility in the recent matter.”
Regarding Kim Geon-woo’s controversial remarks, the agency clarified, “He expressed dissatisfaction using inappropriate language, unaware that his microphone was on. These remarks were not intended as criticism or a personal attack toward any specific individual but rather came out as a monologue.”
The statement continued, “However, these remarks were inappropriate under any circumstances. We deeply apologize once again to the staff present at the scene who may have felt uncomfortable. Furthermore, we sincerely regret causing concern to all our fans.”
The agency further stated, “Beyond this particular incident, various other allegations currently circulating online are not true. We kindly ask everyone to refrain from the indiscriminate dissemination of unconfirmed content. Our failure to promptly clarify the situation was a clear oversight and lack of judgment on our part.” They concluded, “Kim Geon-woo is deeply reflecting on this matter. Following thorough discussions with the agency, Kim Geon-woo has decided to take a period for self-reflection.”
WAKEONE confirmed, “Kim Geon-woo will not be participating in the currently planned activities and fan concerts. For the foreseeable future, ALPHA DRIVE ONE will promote as a 7-member group, excluding Kim Geon-woo.”
ALPHA DRIVE ONE was formed through Mnet’s survival show ‘Boys 2 Planet’ and made their debut this past January.
**Full Official Statement from WAKEONE:**
Hello, this is WAKEONE.
First and foremost, we sincerely apologize to all fans who love and support ALPHA DRIVE ONE for the delay in issuing our official statement.
As an agency, we are obligated to provide our artists with a stable environment to focus on their activities and to ensure they embody the fundamental attitudes and standards required of performers. We take profound responsibility for falling short in this regard.
Regarding the remarks made by Kim Geon-woo that have been circulating online, we would like to clarify the facts. This incident occurred during the filming of pre-debut content. At that time, Kim Geon-woo voiced his dissatisfaction using inappropriate expressions, unaware that his microphone was active.
The remarks were not intended as criticism or a personal attack towards any specific individual; rather, they were spoken in the form of a monologue.
Nevertheless, such comments were inappropriate under any circumstances. We once again offer our deepest apologies to the staff and personnel at the scene who may have experienced discomfort due to this.
We are also truly sorry for causing concern to our fans.
Immediately after the incident, we conveyed our apologies to the production team and initially considered the matter resolved through mutual communication. We also chose not to issue a separate statement at the time, out of concern that it might place additional burden or cause inconvenience to the production staff. However, subsequently, various allegations diverging from the facts began circulating online. The process of thoroughly verifying the truth of each claim was lengthy, which unfortunately led to the delay in this official statement.
Beyond this specific incident, other various suspicions currently being raised online are not true. We kindly request that you refrain from the indiscriminate spreading of unconfirmed information. Nevertheless, our failure to promptly provide an explanation was a clear testament to our lack of judgment.
Kim Geon-woo is deeply reflecting on this incident. Following discussions with our agency, he has decided to take a period for self-reflection.
Consequently, Kim Geon-woo will not be participating in the group’s ongoing activities or fan concerts. For the time being, ALPHA DRIVE ONE will proceed with promotions as a 7-member group, without Kim Geon-woo. We ask for your understanding that certain broadcasts and content, which were filmed and produced prior to this suspension of activities, may still be released according to their scheduled dates.
We are currently reviewing our overall internal and external communication strategies, alongside a comprehensive re-evaluation of our artist management system.
We will thoroughly inspect all areas where we have been lacking, reinforce our relevant standards and management systems, and revise our response processes to ensure more prompt and responsible communication in the future. Additionally, we will continue to strengthen the education and support provided to our artists to prevent any similar incidents from recurring.
ALPHA DRIVE ONE is a team dedicated to achieving a shared dream. As their agency, we will work even harder to ensure that all members can continue their activities in a stable and supportive environment. We humbly ask for your continued warm encouragement and interest.
Sincerely, WAKEONE
