Multiple New Groups to Debut in 2026 Including ALD1 and LNGSHOT as Global Expansion Accelerates

The debut of new K-pop groups is accelerating in 2026, with competition expected to intensify for dominance in the next generation of the industry. Groups from various backgrounds, ranging from those formed through audition programs to newcomers from major entertainment companies, are preparing to enter the market.

The group set to make its debut earliest is ALPHA DRIVE ONE (ALD1). This eight-member boy group emerged from Mnet’s 2025 audition program “Boys Planet” and consists of Junseo, Arno, Leo, Geonu, Sangwon, Shinlong, Anshin, and Sanghyun. Under the WAKEONE label, ALD1 is scheduled to debut on January 12 with its first full-length album, “EUPHORIA.” It previously made its first appearance on a major award show stage at last December’s Melon Music Awards with its pre-release single, “FORMULA.”

MORE VISION, led by singer-songwriter Jay Park, is also preparing a new boy group. The four-member group LNGSHOT, composed of Oyul, Ryeo, Woojin, and Lui, will release its first mini-album, “SHOT CALLERS,” on January 13. LNGSHOT aims to become “one of the most influential groups in the pop music market” by blending hip-hop and R&B. The group name carries the meaning of “a decisive step that changes the situation even in unfavorable circumstances.”

C9 Entertainment is launching its first new boy group in five years. NAZE, made up of seven members including Ato, Gaisei, Yeongki, Tern, Yuya, Kimkun, and Dohyuk, has been active under the temporary name “C9 Lukies” and is conducting early promotion by appearing in Japanese dramas and variety shows.

The emergence of new groups through audition programs will continue as well. H//PE PRINCESS, a seven-member global hip-hop group formed from Mnet’s Korea-Japan joint project “Unpretty Rapstar: Hippop Princess,” is finalized with members Nam Yuju, Koko, Nico, Yoonseo-young, Kim Doi, Reno, and Kim Su-jin, and is set to debut in 2026. YUHZ, which came from SBS’s “Bimy Boys,” is an eight-member multinational boy group consisting of Bohyun, Hyo, Haruto, Junseong, Jaeil, Kai, Yeontae, and Sechan, and plans to expand beyond South Korea into markets in China, Taiwan, and Japan.

SMTR25 from SM Entertainment is also a project worth watching. This multinational group of male trainees is regarded as the most highly anticipated project under a “big label,” expected to carry forward SM’s reputation for experimental sounds and top-tier visuals.