Nobody Was Ready for ZEROBASEONE's Final Night as Nine

ZEROBASEONE said goodbye to an era on March 15 — and nobody in the sold-out KSPO DOME walked away with dry eyes. The nine-member boy group wrapped up their three-day encore concert "2026 ZEROBASEONE WORLD TOUR HERE&NOW ENCORE" in Seoul, marking the last time all nine members would share a stage together before the group transitions to a five-member lineup.

What was supposed to be a celebration of their wildly successful world tour — which drew over 150,000 fans across multiple countries — became an emotional farewell that left both the artists and their devoted fanbase, ZEROIZE, visibly shaken. The concert was completely sold out, with additional screenings broadcast live at theaters across South Korea, including locations in Daejeon, Daegu, and Busan.

The Words That Broke Everyone

Leader Sung Hanbin, who has been the emotional anchor of the group since their formation, delivered a speech that will be remembered by fans for years to come. Fighting back tears, he told the crowd that he had not been able to sleep the night before.

"Time is really cruel," Hanbin said, his voice trembling. "I was always reassured thanks to my eight family-like members and ZEROIZE. As a leader, I endured each day one by one. But since last night, I could not sleep and tears just kept coming."

He continued with raw vulnerability, admitting that leading the group had not always been easy. "I am not a perfect person — I am someone full of fear and without much courage," he confessed. "But being the leader of ZEROBASEONE, with these members beside me, gave me strength I did not know I had."

His final words hit the hardest. "I have come to truly feel the depth of the time we spent together as nine — singing with ZEROIZE, sharing those moments," he said. "ZEROBASEONE was the greatest fortune of my life. These were brilliant moments of youth that will never come again. And when the day comes that all nine of us meet again, just hug me."

A Chapter Closes, A New Story Begins

ZEROBASEONE was formed through Mnet's survival audition program "Boys Planet" and debuted as a project group with a predetermined contract period. Following the completion of their nine-member activities, the group will continue as a five-member unit led by Sung Hanbin, joined by Kim Jiwoong, Seok Matthew, Kim Taerae, and Park Gunwook. The four departing members — Zhang Hao, Ricky, Kim Gyuvin, and Han Yujin — will return to their respective original agencies to pursue new paths.

The restructuring has been a known timeline for fans, but the reality of the final concert made it feel painfully real. Throughout the three-night run from March 13 to 15, the members took turns expressing gratitude and emotions that had been building for months. Fans in the arena reported that by the final song, virtually everyone — performers and audience alike — was in tears.

The concert's setlist served as a retrospective of their journey, featuring beloved tracks that have defined their career. Among the most poignant moments was their performance of "Our Season," whose lyrics — "Beyond all four seasons, Our Season, shining more brilliantly than any other season, Our Stories" — took on an entirely new meaning as the group sang them for the last time as nine.

From Zero to Legacy

Since their debut, ZEROBASEONE has established themselves as one of the defining acts of K-pop's fifth generation. Their world tour "HERE&NOW" was a massive commercial success, with the encore concerts at KSPO DOME drawing immediate sellouts when tickets went on sale. The group's name itself carries poetic weight in this moment — starting from zero and becoming one — a journey that the nine members completed together before some now branch off toward individual horizons.

The concert's title, "HERE&NOW," was originally chosen to celebrate living in the present moment. But on this final night, it became something more profound — a reminder to cherish what exists right now, because nothing lasts forever. The members seemed acutely aware of this, with each performance feeling more intense and emotionally charged than the last.

For the five remaining members, the path forward carries both the weight of what they built together and the excitement of a new chapter. Sung Hanbin has already signaled his determination to honor the group's legacy while forging ahead. For Zhang Hao, Ricky, Kim Gyuvin, and Han Yujin, their departure is not an ending but a branching of the story — with fans eagerly anticipating what each will bring to their next ventures.

As the lights dimmed at KSPO DOME for the last time, the nine members of ZEROBASEONE stood together in a final group embrace. It was not a goodbye — it was, as Sung Hanbin put it, a promise. A promise that the bonds forged through years of shared dreams, exhausting schedules, and triumphant stages would endure far beyond any contract or concert.

For the 150,000 fans who witnessed their world tour and the thousands who filled KSPO DOME across three unforgettable nights, ZEROBASEONE as nine will remain a brilliant, irreplaceable chapter in K-pop history.