Aldiwon's Kim Geonwoo Announces Hiatus

Kim Geon-woo, a member of the group Alphadriveone (AD1), will be suspending his activities due to controversy over inappropriate remarks and behavior. His agency, WAKEONE, announced this fact through an official statement on April 8.

The agency stated, "First, we deeply apologize to the fans who cherish and support AD1 for the delay in our statement." They added that they feel responsible for not fully fulfilling their duty to support the artist in a stable environment so he could focus on his activities, and to manage him to have basic attitudes and standards.

Recently, controversy arose online as posts from individuals related to Kim Geon-woo followed, making accusations. The agency explained that this was due to him expressing dissatisfaction with inappropriate language while unaware that his microphone was on during a content filming session before his debut. While the remarks were in the form of talking to himself rather than criticizing or attacking a specific person, they were inappropriate in any case. The agency once again apologized to the on-site staff who may have felt uncomfortable and to the fans who were disappointed.

The agency apologized to the production crew immediately after the incident. Regarding why they did not issue a separate statement, they explained, "We judged that if it were mentioned again, it would cause additional burden, as the matter was resolved through mutual communication." They continued, announcing Kim Geon-woo's suspension of activities due to the ongoing controversy, stating that he is deeply reflecting and will take time for self-reflection. For the time being, AD1 will continue activities as a seven-member group.

WAKEONE announced that they will thoroughly review their shortcomings, improve artist management and system structures, and strengthen artist education and support to prevent similar incidents from recurring. As a result, AD1 will be active as a seven-member group again after four months.