ZEROBASEONE Dons Hanbok for a Joseon Chase Scene — ZBTVing Gets Its Most Epic Episode Yet

ZEROBASEONE is stepping into the Joseon dynasty — and fan excitement is at an all-time high. The K-pop group dropped a teaser on April 15, 2026, for the latest episode of their self-produced YouTube series ZBTVing, and the preview has already set their fandom, the ZEROs, buzzing with anticipation. The new episode, titled Men Who Live with the King (왕과 사는 남자들), takes the group into full historical drama territory, complete with traditional hanbok costumes, elaborate headwear, and a high-stakes chase sequence through a Korean folk village.

The episode is set to premiere on April 17 at 8 PM KST on ZEROBASEONE's official YouTube channel, with worldwide simultaneous availability. Based on the teaser released across the group's social platforms, it promises to be one of the most visually striking and narratively ambitious pieces of idol-produced content to land this season.

Inside the Episode: A Joseon-Era Chase

The teaser sets up an unexpectedly dramatic premise. Members Seonghanbin, Kim Ji-ung, Matthew, Kim Taerae, and Park Gunwook are dressed in full Joseon-era attire — sweeping silk robes, traditional court accessories, and the kind of ornate headgear that makes running considerably more complicated — set against the backdrop of an authentic Korean folk village.

This is not a peaceful historical reenactment. The mission involves tracking down a traitor to the throne: according to the episode's premise, the members must locate a crucial royal petition (sangso-mun) that serves as evidence against a treasonous conspirator. What follows, as teased in the preview clip, is a tense multi-directional pursuit — members chasing and being chased through the folk village's traditional alleyways, across stone bridges, and past pavilion-roofed structures — all while dressed in those flowing robes that make every sudden movement a spectacle in its own right.

The episode's concept draws clear inspiration from The King and His Partner (왕과 사는 남자), a recent Korean film that became a significant pop-culture moment. The movie's mix of palace intrigue, physical comedy, and breathless chase sequences maps naturally onto ZBTVing's format, and by anchoring the episode to a recognized cultural touchpoint, ZEROBASEONE gives international fans an accessible entry point into the scenario. For Korean fans, the reference adds an extra layer of in-joke delight that the group appears to have recognized and leaned into fully.

ZBTVing: ZB1's Window Into Their Real Selves

For those encountering ZEROBASEONE's self-produced content for the first time, ZBTVing is the group's signature YouTube variety series. The concept is fundamentally different from typical K-pop promotional output: instead of polished music video sets, choreography practice rooms, and award show stages, ZBTVing is designed to capture the members in unscripted, spontaneous, and genuinely unguarded moments.

The series has become a consistent presence in the ZEROs community's weekly viewing calendar. Past episodes have encompassed cooking competitions, travel adventures, physical challenges, and games — all built around the premise of seeing how the members naturally interact when they are not in performance mode. The formula has been consistently effective: ZBTVing generates regular engagement from ZEROBASEONE's global fanbase, making each new episode something fans actively plan to watch together in real time.

The Men Who Live with the King episode marks an evolution in the series format. The historical roleplay setup imposes a narrative structure that most ZBTVing episodes do not have, giving the members a scenario to perform through rather than simply react to. This adds an additional level of creative challenge for the members — and, for fans, a different kind of entertainment payoff. The question of how Seonghanbin and his teammates handle a Joseon-era evidence hunt while maintaining straight faces in floor-length robes is, by any measure, a compelling one.

Why the Hanbok Concept Has Captured Fan Attention

The enthusiasm around this particular ZBTVing episode extends beyond the standard excitement for new content. The Korean historical drama genre — internationally known as sageuk — commands a massive and devoted global audience through streaming platforms, and there is something specifically compelling about the intersection of K-pop idol and period drama aesthetics. Seeing performers whose usual visual identity is defined by sleek contemporary styling suddenly appear in elaborate traditional dress creates an immediate visual contrast that fans find irresistible.

ZEROBASEONE's decision to film at an actual Korean folk village rather than a studio set adds genuine authenticity to the visual. The location's preserved Joseon-era architecture — timber-framed gates, curved tiled rooftops, cobblestone paths and courts — provides a backdrop that looks genuinely cinematic, and the stills from the teaser have already generated substantial fan engagement on social media platforms. The combination of the group's established visual identity with the unexpected hanbok styling has proven to be a highly shareable aesthetic.

What This Episode Reveals About ZB1 in 2026

Beyond the immediate entertainment value, the Men Who Live with the King episode reflects something meaningful about where ZEROBASEONE is as a group. Having recently unveiled a refreshed brand identity — including new logo design and updated official profile photographs — the group appears to be in a deliberate period of creative consolidation and audience expansion.

Consistent self-produced content has become one of the defining characteristics of how successful fourth-generation K-pop groups build lasting fanbases in the streaming era. Groups that maintain regular, high-quality YouTube output stay present in their fans' lives during the gaps between album releases — and those gaps are when community identity solidifies. ZEROBASEONE has clearly understood this. ZBTVing's tonal consistency and regular cadence have given the ZEROs something to organize around, and the upcoming episode looks set to deliver the kind of content that fans will be discussing and sharing well past the April 17 premiere date.