Just a month after their highly publicized debut, rookie boy group ALPHA DRIVE ONE finds itself at the center of a growing storm. Member Kim Geonwoo is facing a wave of serious accusations, including verbal abuse toward broadcasting staff and a history of rude conduct. However, as the allegations spread like wildfire across social media, a significant section of the group’s fandom, ALYZ, has launched a counter-movement, defending the 24-year-old idol with the hashtag “WE STAND WITH GEONWOO.”
The controversy, which erupted online just days ago, has split the K-pop community. While numerous netizens and self-proclaimed industry insiders are calling for Geonwoo’s removal from the group, his supporters are urging caution, demanding concrete evidence and questioning the timing and motivation behind the leaks.
The Initial Allegations: What Sparked the Fire
The first wave of accusations surfaced approximately two days ago through an anonymous online post. The original poster (OP), claiming to be the mother of a victim, detailed an incident involving her daughter, a contract floor director at MBC. According to the post, which was originally shared on a mom’s online cafe a month prior, the daughter was left in tears after an idol’s outburst on set .
The mother claimed that while her daughter was giving instructions to a boy group, one member was overheard making a crude and disrespectful comment about her appearance. The OP stated that the idol, believing his microphone was off or that he could not be heard, used offensive language. The situation reportedly escalated as the idol continued to glare at the staff member with disdain and later berated her when a stage prop malfunctioned .
While the original post avoided naming names to prevent retaliation, it provided clues: the idol was a 24-year-old with the surname “Kim,” and a member of a group formed through a survival show on tvN or Mnet. Online communities quickly connected the dots to Kim Geonwoo of ALPHA DRIVE ONE, the eight-member group formed through Mnet’s ‘Boys II Planet’ .
Soon after, an individual claiming to be the victim herself came forward. She reportedly shared images of her work desk and a weekly filming schedule as proof of her employment at MBC, directly naming Kim Geonwoo as the perpetrator and describing him as having a “horrible character” .
More Insiders Come Forward: A Pattern of Behavior?
Following the initial MBC allegation, the situation escalated as multiple other self-proclaimed industry insiders came forward to share their own negative experiences with the rookie idol, painting a picture of a pattern of rude conduct .
One user, claiming to be a stylist, alleged that an incident during the filming of KBS2’s ‘Idol 1N2D’ is already “well-known among insiders.” They claimed that during a break, Kim Geonwoo was caught on a live microphone swearing in frustration at staff instructions, causing the entire set to go silent and filming to be halted while managers begged for forgiveness .
Another user, identifying as an SBS employee on the professional app ‘Blind,’ labeled Geonwoo as being on the “evil side,” claiming he glares at everyone he meets and that broadcasting stations are unofficially “red flagging” him . A third person, alleging to be an MBC production employee, described Geonwoo as the first rookie to act so “bold and entitled,” claiming he never greeted staff for weeks and ignored an intern in an elevator .
Further adding to the controversy, a former employee of Bill Entertainment, where Geonwoo was a trainee, corroborated past bullying accusations. They claimed Geonwoo treated people differently based on their usefulness and was known among staff as “a flower without a scent,” implying he lacked genuine warmth .
These allegations have also caused past issues to resurface. During his time on ‘Boys II Planet,’ Geonwoo faced accusations of bullying a fellow trainee, an incident for which he reportedly wrote a letter of apology .
Fans Fight Back: “WE STAND WITH GEONWOO”
Despite the severity of the accusations, a large and vocal portion of ALPHA DRIVE ONE’s fandom has refused to accept the allegations at face value. Under the rallying cry of “WE STAND WITH GEONWOO,” supporters have flooded social media platforms, challenging the authenticity of the anonymous witnesses and demanding official proof.
Fans argue that the reliance on anonymous online posts and unverified “insider” testimonies from platforms like Blind is a recipe for misinformation. They point out that none of the accusers have provided definitive, verifiable evidence such as official CCTV footage or a direct statement from the broadcasting networks themselves .
Supporters are also highlighting a recent interview where Kim Geonwoo expressed a desire to “be someone consistent” and thanked fans for their support, arguing that this sincere attitude contradicts the image painted by the anonymous accusers . They believe the idol is being unfairly targeted just as his career was taking off.
“The timing is suspicious,” one fan wrote on social media. “He just debuted, and suddenly all these ‘insiders’ remember incidents from months ago? Where was this proof during the audition show?” Another fan added, “Anonymous accusers with stories but no real proof. We will wait for facts. WE STAND WITH GEONWOO” .
The Backlash and Calls for Removal
On the other side of the debate, Korean netizens and other K-pop fans are expressing shock and anger. Many are calling for Kim Geonwoo to be immediately removed from the group, arguing that the sheer volume and consistency of the accusations point to a serious character flaw.
Comments on popular community sites reflect this sentiment. One netizen stated, “If there are that many consistent accusation posts, there’s a serious problem” . Another drew comparisons to past scandals, asking, “When a popular female idol was caught being mean to staff, her career was basically sent to hell immediately. But this rookie male idol has already been rude to staff multiple times… will anything even happen to him?” .
Some are questioning how Geonwoo managed to debut despite the earlier bullying allegations. “Looking at Namuwiki, it seems like there was already an article exposing his character from the first episode of the audition program… but it was buried, and he succeeded in his debut? How?” a netizen commented .
Calls for the group’s agency, WAKEONE, to take action are growing louder, with critics warning that keeping Geonwoo in the group would be like holding a “ticking bomb” that could destroy the entire team’s future .
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ALPHA DRIVE ONE’s Promising Start Now Clouded
This controversy is a significant blow to ALPHA DRIVE ONE, which debuted with great fanfare on January 12, 2026, with their first mini-album, EUPHORIA . Formed through the finale of Mnet’s ‘Boys II Planet’ in late 2025, the eight-member group—consisting of Junseo, Arno, Leo, Geonwoo, Sangwon, Xinlong, Anxin, and Sanghyeon—was positioned as the successor to successful project groups like Wanna One and ZEROBASEONE .
During their debut showcase, the members spoke passionately about their journey and dreams. Geonwoo himself had expressed his ambition, stating, “I want to become a team that lives up to it and continues moving toward the top,” and later hoped ALPHA DRIVE ONE would be known as a group “fans can trust to deliver great performances” .
Now, just over a month later, those words are being scrutinized under a very different light. As of now, neither Kim Geonwoo individually nor his agency WAKEONE has released an official statement addressing the growing list of allegations. The ball is now in the agency’s court as they decide how to handle a crisis that threatens to derail the career of their rookie group before it truly has a chance to begin. For international audiences in the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, and India, this story is a stark reminder of the intense scrutiny and high stakes involved in the K-pop industry, where the line between public image and private behavior is constantly being negotiated.
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