"We're Brighter Than You Might Expect": ALPHA DRIVE ONE Shows Off Their Different Charms At ATA Festival

Boy group ALPHA DRIVE ONE brought their youthful confidence and colorful charms to the ATA Festival. Moving effortlessly between powerful and refreshing energy on stage, the seven members showed an equally playful side during their backstage interview.

ALPHA DRIVE ONE took the stage on the second day of the Asia Top Artist Festival 2026, held on September 20 at Nanji Hangang Park in Seoul. The group which consists of Leo, Junseo, Arno, Sangwon, Xinlong, Anxin and Sanghyeon, spent some time backstage sharing more about their personalities and chemistry as a team.

For attendees who may have been discovering ALPHA DRIVE ONE for the first time, the members were challenged to show their best "stan-attractor" point in just five seconds. Each quickly turned toward the camera with his own expression and pose, giving a glimpse of the individual personalities within the seven-member group.

The playful mood continued when the members were asked to choose the group's "visual MVP" of the day. After briefly debating among themselves, they ultimately settled on Sangwon, who confidently stepped forward to show off his charms for the camera.

While ALPHA DRIVE ONE have already shown that they can move between powerful and refreshing concepts, the members explained that their personalities off stage are similarly varied. "We're all cute and actually much brighter than you might expect," they shared. "We have quiet sides as well, so there are a lot of different charms, but we think the more energetic and charismatic side suits us well."

Their easy-going chemistry also came through when asked to identify the best photographer and poser in the group. Leo earned praise for his recent photography skills, while Sangwon was chosen as the member particularly good at posing. The two immediately put the choices to the test, with Leo pretending to take the shot as Sangwon posed for an impromptu mini photo shoot.

With fans from different countries gathered at the festival, ALPHA DRIVE ONE also delivered greetings in several languages. In English, the members said, "We're so excited to be here at the ATA Festival. Let's make some great memories. We love you!"

They continued with messages in Chinese and Japanese, expressing their gratitude for being able to participate in the festival and encouraging fans to enjoy the performances together.

Furthermore, the members added, "We sincerely thank you for coming to see us and the other artists perform despite the hot weather. Being able to perform here by the Han River will become a precious memory for us as well. Let's make some great memories today."

The interview ended on a characteristically playful note as ALPHA DRIVE ONE took on an acrostic poem using the Korean syllables "A" and "Ta." Playing off the festival's name, they joked that they had been bored until the timing worked out perfectly for them to meet their fans at the ATA Festival.

"Today, we're going to enjoy the performance as much as we can, so please stay with us until the end," the members said.

Reflecting on their appearance at the festival, ALPHA DRIVE ONE added, "We're so honored and happy to be here at the ATA Festival. We'll show you a great performance."

Meanwhile, hosted by Hankyung Media Group including TenAsia and Hankyung.com, 'ATA Festival' is a comprehensive K-culture festival spanning music, K-food, K-beauty, and K-fashion, held over two days from September 19 to 20.

Following day one, which featured Hi-Fi Un!corn, Kim Su-young, Lee Oh-wook, Dynamic Duo, Car, the garden, LUCY, &TEAM, and CNBLUE—the second-day lineup concluded the festival on a high note with Dragon Pony, Choi Ye-na, Choi Hyun-wook, Daybreak, Urban Zakapa, ALPHADRIVE ONE, Lee Mu-jin, KickFlip, Jannabi, and ATEEZ.