ZEROBASEONE Dishes On Their First Mini Album “YOUTH IN THE SHADE,” What Youth Means, And More

“Boys Planet” group ZEROBASEONE has posed together for Singles magazine!

Singles magazine teamed up with ZEROBASEONE, who released their first mini album “YOUTH IN THE SHADE” on July 10, for an astonishing photo shoot! Following the photo shoot, the members sat down and dished on various topics including their album, what “youth” means to them, and other fun trivia facts about themselves.

To start with, the group’s leader Sung Han Bin shared his thoughts on what makes a good leader. He said, “A leader who is good at communicating. Being a leader is very different from fulfilling your role as a team member. Everyone has a different standard for what is being good at communication and being wise. I contemplate a lot in order to make decisions wisely. What I’m thankful for is that the members wait patiently for me, so I can try harder in my own way.”

Earlier this month, ZEROBASEONE dropped their first mini album “YOUTH IN THE SHADE” along with the music video for the title track “In Bloom.” When asked about what does “youth” mean to him, Ricky answered, “It’s the whole process of me starting to practice [as a trainee] with the dream of making my debut as an idol, participating on ‘Boys Planet,’ overcoming adversity with my friends, and debuting as ZEROBASEONE. Even this moment in time that is fleeting is also youth.”

Zhang Hao dished on his favorite television shows that he is into lately. He said, “I’m hooked on Korean variety shows. In particular, I like ‘Earth Arcade’ and ‘Amazing Saturday.’ I do image training by imagining how I would look when I appear on a variety show in the future.” Zhang Hao added that he is confident at playing games that require a good memory. He shared, “I have good memory. I also have been listening to a lot of songs and watching a lot of stage performances as I have been loving K-pop for a long time. That’s why I’m confident in [playing games such as] guessing the song title or dancing to the music.”

Kim Gyu Vin talked about one most important thing that he doesn’t want to forget as an artist. He explained, “‘D1, Be the ONE! Hello, we are ZEROBASEONE!’ is our team’s greeting. Here, ‘D1’ is not ‘D-1’ but ‘D+1.’ We decided on this with the hope that our feelings of the first day [of our debut] will continue. Cherishing my initial mindset can start with keeping the promises that I made to myself in a small way. Whether it is practicing or exercising, there will be days when I feel like I don’t want to do it because it’s annoying and difficult, but I will try to minimize such days.”

Kim Ji Woong, the eldest member of ZEROBASEONE, shared, “From the members’ points of view, there must be a side of me that they want to see and learn from since I’m even just a little bit older than them, so I always try to act responsibly. I try my best to make them think, ‘I want to be seen like Ji Woong,’ when the members become hyung or a senior to someone else later.”

Kim Tae Rae dished on the last time that he cried, saying, “It was the time when I did an interview while looking at the sunset on Jeju Island while filming ‘CAMP ZEROBASEONE.’ Seok Matthew was standing behind the camera, and it looked like the ending scene in a teen film. At that moment, my tears suddenly welled up. I don’t even know why, so I feel like I am a ‘feeling’ (referring to Myers-Briggs Type Indicator) type of a person.”

Before debuting as an idol, Han Yu Jin participated in a lot of sports including basketball, soccer, swimming, speed skating, and taekwondo, which he did for seven years. He shared, “I was the worst [soccer] player in the elite class. However, my father’s words, ‘You started playing soccer later than the other kids, so how can you match with them with only that much effort?’ ignited a fire in me. Since then, I played soccer all day long because I wanted to prove myself that I could do it too.” With his persistence and effort, Han Yu Jin eventually became the best player in the team.

Park Gun Wook is praised for his fitness. Regarding this, he remarked, “I think it’s mostly thanks to my genetic bone structure. It’s also easier for me to build up muscles.” Park Gun Wook also added that he hoped to shined the brightest while on the stage because numerous fans and staff helped ZEROBASEONE so that they can shine brightly.

Last but not least, Seok Matthew dished on what gives him strength since moving to Korea. He shared, “My grandmother is in Korea, so just having a meal together sometimes gives me relief. I am also discovering new charms of Korean food. My grandmother’s soup is really delicious. Especially soybean paste stew!”