While the frenzy over K-Pop’s beautiful and talented girl groups is still reaching new heights each day, K-Pop boy group fans are also hopeful that the newly debuting5th generation will signal the revival of a powerful boy group scene.
If the 3rd generation can be defined by the powerful triad made up of EXO · BTS · Wanna One, Korean netizens have hopes that a new triad can be born in the 5th generation, consisting of ZEROBASEONE · RIIZE · BOYNEXTDOOR, or “ZeRiBo” for short. (In Korean, it is written and pronounced “ZeRaBo”.)
All three 5th generation groups share the common trait that they debuted in 2023. In fact, the three groups originally began to be discussed together among K-Pop fans because of the fact that ZEROBASEONE’s Sung Hanbin, RIIZE’s Sohee, and BOYNEXTDOOR’s Jaehyun are currently the MCs of Mnet‘s ‘M! Countdown‘, going by the MC trio name “Shine Meongddocat”.
Plus, as is tradition in the K-Pop scene, idol groups who debut around the same time tend to grow closer together by participating in year-end collaboration stages. These collaboration stages also allow fans of participating groups to interact and to get to know the other idols, contributing to mutual fandom growth.
Some K-netizens commented,
“Thanks to Meongddocat, the ZeRiBo fans have such a friendly relationship kekekeke.”
“The great union of the 5th generation!”
“I know all the members in the three groups by name kekekeke.”
“I’m a fan of one of the groups, but I feel some kind of kinship with the other groups so I watch their contents from time to time kekekeke.”
“Can they please cover one another’s debut songs OMG.”
“Let’s have more collab stages!”
“ZeRiBo is seriously the new EXO · BTS · Wanna One.”
“If you look at how messy things are with the HYBE girl groups, I’m so glad ZeRiBo fans are on good terms. This is the way 5th gen should be.”
“‘M! Countdown’ actually did some good for the K-Pop scene this time.”