ZEROBASEONE leader Sung Han-bin is stepping out on his own. On October 12, 2026, he becomes the first member of the five-piece group to release music under his own name — three years after his group debut.
What's Confirmed: Sung Han-bin's Solo Debut on October 12, 2026
Sung Han-bin will make his solo debut on October 12, 2026, according to an announcement from his agency THE L1VE LABEL on September 7, 2026 . He is the first ZEROBASEONE member to launch an individual career since the group debuted in July 2023. Only the date is confirmed — no album title, tracklist or format has been released.
Quick Answer: ZEROBASEONE leader Sung Han-bin debuts as a soloist on October 12, 2026, confirmed by THE L1VE LABEL on September 7. He is the first of the group's five remaining members to go solo, arriving three years after ZEROBASEONE's July 2023 debut. Album details remain undisclosed.
The agency framed the announcement as a preparation update rather than a full reveal:
"Sung Hanbin has confirmed his solo debut for October 12 and is currently accelerating his preparations. We ask for a lot of interest and anticipation for Sung Hanbin as he returns with a new side of himself," — THE L1VE LABEL, September 7, 2026 (source: SBS News)
The plan was not entirely unexpected. Korean outlet Ilgan Sports reported the solo project as an exclusive on September 4, 2026 — three days before the label's official confirmation . Here is what has and has not been disclosed as of September 8, 2026:
- Confirmed: Debut date of October 12, 2026; solo debut under THE L1VE LABEL; first ZEROBASEONE member to go solo.
- Not disclosed: Album or single title, tracklist, concept, genre direction, release format (single vs. EP) and release time.
Korean reporting is explicit on that second point, noting that "album name, track list and other concrete details have not yet been revealed" . Teaser materials would typically roll out through late September and early October, but no schedule image has been published yet. Fans should treat anything beyond the October 12 date as unannounced (source: Soompi).
Who Is Sung Han-bin? From Boys Planet to ZEROBASEONE Leader
Sung Han-bin is the leader and main dancer of ZEROBASEONE, born June 13, 2001 in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, which makes him 25 . He entered public view through Mnet's 2023 survival series "Boys Planet," where he was placed at the center of the K-group and handled the solo killing part on the signal song "난 빛나" (Here I Am), and he finished the competition in second place with 1,888,414 votes . That placement put him in the debut lineup of ZEROBASEONE, which launched in July 2023 — three years and three months before the October 12 solo date .
He has been the group's leader from the start, and Korean coverage has consistently described him as an "올라운더" (all-rounder): a dancer-background performer with a clear vocal tone, refined dance lines and detailed expressiveness (source: SBS News, 2026-09). That framing is one reason the solo debut has drawn attention as a test of range rather than a repackaging of the group sound.
His non-music resume is unusually broad for a fifth-generation idol and helps explain the name recognition he brings into a solo release:
- M Countdown MC — hosted Mnet's weekly music show for roughly two years, from his September 2023 debut as host to stepping down in September 2025 .
- Program host — "I-LAND 2" (2024), "World of Street Woman Fighter" (2025), and currently Mnet's "Street World Fighter: Director's War" .
- Stage MC abroad — "M Countdown in France," KCON Japan 2025 and KCON LA 2025 .
- KCON global ambassador — named the festival's first official global ambassador in February 2026 .
On the brand side he works with Gucci as a "Friend of the House," Swarovski as a Global Brand Model and 2026 brand ambassador, plus SNP as brand ambassador and Björk & Berries as a muse . His recorded output under his own name, by contrast, is thin: the 2024 single "Bad Boy" and OST tracks "Luv Luv Luv" (2023), "Champion" (2025) and "You Are Spring" (2026) . October 12 is the first time that catalogue gets a formal debut release behind it.
Why THE L1VE Label, Not WAKEONE, Is Running This Debut
THE L1VE LABEL, not WAKEONE, issued the October 12 announcement because Sung Han-bin's individual activities are managed separately from his ZEROBASEONE group contract, which sits with WAKEONE . THE L1VE (더라이브) is the second label founded by rapper Ravi, after GROOVL1N in 2019 , and — unlike GROOVL1N's hip-hop focus — is built around developing idol trainees through agency auditions . The practical split is straightforward: group promotions stay with WAKEONE, solo work runs through THE L1VE.
That division became visible after ZEROBASEONE's 2026 restructuring. When the project term closed in January 2026 and four members departed at contract expiration in March, the remaining five did not consolidate under one roof for individual activity — they spread across three agencies .
| Member | Individual agency | Group activity managed by |
|---|---|---|
| Sung Han-bin | THE L1VE LABEL | WAKEONE |
| Kim Ji-woong | Nest Management | WAKEONE |
| Seok Matthew | WAKEONE | WAKEONE |
| Kim Tae-rae | WAKEONE | WAKEONE |
| Park Gun-wook | WAKEONE | WAKEONE |
Source: agency structure reported by The Korea Times and Tenasia, September 2026.
The arrangement is worth reading carefully before assuming who announces what. WAKEONE remains the point of contact for ZEROBASEONE comebacks, tour dates and the group's official artist page; THE L1VE handles the October 12 release, its teaser rollout and any solo schedule attached to it. For fans tracking announcements, that means solo teasers, tracklist reveals and release-time confirmations should be expected from THE L1VE's channels, while group notices continue to come from WAKEONE. It also puts a comparatively small label in charge of a soloist from a group that has crossed 10 million cumulative album sales , a distribution and promotion test that will be measurable in October.
Why It Matters: ZEROBASEONE's Momentum Behind the Solo Launch
The October 12 solo debut arrives while ZEROBASEONE is at its commercial peak. The reorganized five-member lineup released its sixth EP "Ascend-" on May 18, 2026 , and one week later, on May 25, 2026, WAKEONE confirmed the group had passed 10 million cumulative album sales on Hanteo Chart standards — the first fifth-generation K-pop act to reach that mark . Sung Han-bin is not testing solo waters from a quiet period; he is stepping out from a catalog with measurable scale behind it.
The "Ascend-" numbers give that scale a concrete shape. Led by title track "TOP 5," a 2000s dance-pop reinterpretation blended with contemporary R&B and hip-hop rhythms, the EP sold 198,045 copies on its first day and 514,784 in its first week on Hanteo . That was the first release of the post-restructuring lineup, following the March 2026 departures of Zhang Hao, Ricky, Kim Gyu-vin and Han Yu-jin. WAKEONE also credits the group with six consecutive million-sellers from debut, running from "Youth in the Shade" in 2023 through "Never Say Never" in 2025 .
The calendar placement is the other signal worth reading. October 12 sits after the May "Ascend-" cycle and alongside promotion for the group's second Japanese EP, which topped the Oricon Weekly Album Ranking . Slotting a leader's solo release into that window points to a coordinated late-2026 schedule rather than an isolated side project.
For fans, the practical takeaway is structural. As the first ZEROBASEONE member to debut solo , Sung Han-bin sets the working template for how a five-member group with three managing agencies alternates between group comebacks and individual releases. How October is sequenced — teaser cadence, promotion overlap, whether group activity pauses — becomes the reference point for whichever member goes next.
What's Still Unknown: Album Details and Fan Logistics
Almost everything except the date is still unannounced. As of the September 7, 2026 confirmation, no album title, tracklist, concept, genre direction, format (single or EP) or release time has been disclosed . Korean coverage states plainly that "앨범명과 수록곡 등 구체적인 정보는 아직 공개되지 않았다" — album name, track list and other concrete details have not yet been revealed . Teaser materials would normally roll out through late September and early October, but no schedule image has been published.
Fan logistics are equally open. No showcase, fan-con or Seoul pop-up has been announced by THE L1VE LABEL, and any listing claiming ticketing dates or a venue should be treated as unverified until the label posts it . Fans planning travel around the release should hold off on booking against rumored events.
What is measurable is how thin his solo catalogue is. Before October 12, his output under his own name amounts to the 2024 single "Bad Boy" and three OST tracks — "Luv Luv Luv" (2023), "Champion" (2025) and "You Are Spring" (2026) . That makes this his first formal solo release, three years after his July 2023 group debut .
The concrete takeaway: mark October 12, 2026, and watch THE L1VE LABEL's own channels for the first teaser — that posting, not secondhand reports, will be the first real signal of format and concept.
Frequently asked questions
When is Sung Han-bin's solo debut?
Sung Han-bin debuts as a soloist on October 12, 2026 . His individual agency THE L1VE LABEL confirmed the date on September 7, 2026, saying he had "confirmed his solo debut for October 12" and was "accelerating his preparations" . Korean outlet Ilgan Sports reported the plan three days earlier, on September 4 . No release time of day has been disclosed.
Is Sung Han-bin the first ZEROBASEONE member to debut solo?
Yes. Sung Han-bin is the first of ZEROBASEONE's five current members to launch an individual release, arriving three years after the group debuted in July 2023 . The reorganized lineup — Sung Han-bin, Kim Ji-woong, Seok Matthew, Kim Tae-rae and Park Gun-wook — took shape in March 2026 after four members left at contract expiration . Group activity continues alongside the solo project, per WAKEONE.
Which agency is releasing Sung Han-bin's solo music?
THE L1VE LABEL is handling the solo debut. Sung Han-bin's individual activities are managed through THE L1VE, the second label founded by rapper Ravi after GROOVL1N in 2019 . ZEROBASEONE's group activities remain with WAKEONE, so the October 12 release is a THE L1VE project, not a WAKEONE one . Two other members sit elsewhere: Kim Ji-woong is under Nest Management, while three remain with WAKEONE.
What songs or album title will Sung Han-bin release?
Nothing beyond the date has been announced. As of the September 7, 2026 confirmation, no album title, tracklist, concept, genre direction, format (single or EP) or release time has been disclosed, and Korean reports state directly that concrete details have not yet been revealed . Teaser materials are expected to roll out through late September and early October, and Soompi similarly reported only the date. No showcase, fan-con or pop-up has been announced.
What has Sung Han-bin released before this solo debut?
His prior solo-adjacent output is limited to the 2024 single "Bad Boy" and three OST tracks: "Luv Luv Luv" (2023), "Champion" (2025) and "You Are Spring" (2026) . He has no prior full solo release under his own name. Outside music, he was named KCON's first official global ambassador in February 2026 and has hosted Mnet programs including "M Countdown," "I-LAND 2" and "Street World Fighter: Director's War" .
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This article was written using information collected and analyzed by NAMANE's in-house K-pop research AI engine. We use AI technology to bring you faster, broader coverage, and in the process some details may occasionally differ from the latest facts. For important information such as dates, venues, and prices, please double-check with official sources.
