Kang Woojin (강우진)

When Mnet's Boys Planet 2 wrapped in late 2025, Choi Lip-woo and Kang Woo-jin emerged from the competition not as members of its graduating group but as a pair whose chemistry on the show proved durable enough to anchor something of their own. By May 2026, the two had debuted as FLARE U under FNC Entertainment, with Kang Woojin — born June 7, 2007, and standing at 188 cm — bringing youth, stage presence, and an audition-honed partnership into his first professional release.

From audition stage to duo debut

Kang Woojin's path to a debut ran directly through *Boys Planet 2*, the Mnet survival format that placed him alongside Choi Lip-woo. Their teamwork during the program drew consistent attention from viewers, and when the show concluded, the question of what would follow for the two was answered roughly seven months later. In March 2026, FNC Entertainment confirmed that Lip-woo and Woojin would debut together as the duo FLARE U — a unit whose formation, the label noted, came after sufficient discussion, including the resolution of an earlier three-member configuration that did not proceed.

Before releasing any music, the pair made their first public appearance as a unit at KCON JAPAN 2026 in March 2026, performing as special guests on the Dance Stage and X Stage and staging a showcase for an international fanbase. The appearance served as a preview of the duo's live presence ahead of a formal debut still weeks away.

Debut with *YOUTH ERROR*

FLARE U's debut mini-album, 'YOUTH ERROR', arrived on May 13, 2026, released at 6 PM KST. The six-track project is led by the title track 'WAY 2 U', and the label framed the album around a youth narrative — a thematic throughline that connects to the story Woojin and Lip-woo began building in public through the audition program. An introduction film released ahead of the debut used imagery of convergence to represent their trajectory toward a single unit, signaling that the group's identity would lean into the bond formed on *Boys Planet 2* rather than set it aside.

Members

• Choi Lip-woo — met Kang Woojin on *Boys Planet 2*; co-founder of FLARE U
• Kang Woojin — born June 7, 2007; nationality Korean; height 188 cm