Hangyul — born Lee Han Gyul and best known as the leader of BAE173 — traces a career arc that runs from one of K-pop's most turbulent survival shows to an ongoing presence across multiple active projects. His trajectory through X1, BAE173, and now POLARIX reflects the particular churn of the post-survival-show generation of Korean idol acts.
Debut & Formation
Hangyul first came to wide attention through *Produce X 101*, Mnet's 2019 competition series, finishing in a position that placed him among the debut lineup of X1. In that group he served as Main Dancer and Lead Vocalist. X1's run was short-lived — the group disbanded in early 2020 following the vote-manipulation controversy that engulfed the *Produce* franchise — but the exposure established Hangyul as a recognizable name ahead of his next chapter.
That chapter arrived with BAE173, a South Korean boy group under PocketDol Studio, where Hangyul took on the role of leader. The group also carries the credit of a separate unit or project under the name IM (아이엠), in which Hangyul was previously involved, rounding out a discography built across several distinct configurations.
Activities
In February 2026, PocketDol Studio confirmed that Hangyul had concluded his exclusive contract with the label, ending his formal association with CEO Kim Kwang-soo. The announcement was framed as a close to one chapter and the opening of another. Separately, Hangyul holds current membership in POLARIX, indicating that his activities continue beyond the PocketDol period.
Legacy
The throughline of Hangyul's career is one of persistence across structural disruption — a disbanded project in X1, a label departure after BAE173, and continued activity in new configurations. For followers of the post-*Produce* generation of Korean artists, he represents a recognizable pattern: visibility earned through competition television, sustained through group work, and now extended into an independent new phase.
