ALPHA DRIVE ONE's Sangwon Joins BOYNEXTDOOR's Sungho as New 'Show! Music Core' MC

ALPHA DRIVE ONE's Sangwon is set to take the mic on one of South Korea's biggest weekly music stages. According to a report by TenAsia on August 31, the rookie idol has been confirmed as a new MC of MBC's "Show! Music Core."

He will host alongside BOYNEXTDOOR's Sungho, whose casting was reported earlier. The two will front the show as a pair.

"Show! Music Core" is one of MBC's flagship music programs, airing every Saturday since 2005. The previous hosts, &TEAM's Kim Gyubin and TWS's Dohoon, led the show together from March last year through August 22, when they stepped down. Sangwon and Sungho take over as their replacements.

Sangwon finished first on Mnet's "Boys II Planet" last year and debuted as the center of ALPHA DRIVE ONE. Before the survival show, he had already built a following as a member of Trainee A, a pre-debut team developed by HYBE's label Big Hit Music. He drew attention as one of the team's main dancers, but Trainee A's planned debut fell through in December 2022, and his contract with Big Hit Music ended soon after.

About three years later, Sangwon returned to the spotlight through "Boys II Planet" and proved his fanbase throughout the season. He ranked first within his team in the class battle, the position battle, and the debut concept battle, then topped the final vote to secure his spot in ALPHA DRIVE ONE. The buzz has carried over into his group activities.

Since debuting with ALPHA DRIVE ONE, Sangwon has picked up hosting experience as a special MC on SBS's "Inkigayo" and at Mnet's KCON. This is his first time as a regular MC on a music show.

His pairing with Sungho also has a backstory. Sangwon once trained under HYBE's Big Hit Music, and BOYNEXTDOOR, Sungho's group, is signed to HYBE's KOZ Entertainment. Both hosts were also born in 2003, adding a same-age dynamic that fans are already looking forward to.