X1

X1 (엑스원, pronounced EKS-wun) was a South Korean boy group formed by CJ ENM through the Mnet reality competition series Produce X 101. Eleven members, Han Seung-woo, Cho Seung-youn, Kim Woo-seok, Kim Yo-han, Lee Han-gyul, Cha Jun-ho, Son Dong-pyo, Kang Min-hee, Lee Eun-sang, Song Hyeong-jun, and Nam Do-hyon, were selected via nationwide viewer voting from a pool of 101 trainees across a 12-week broadcast. The group debuted on August 27, 2019, under Swing Entertainment and CJ ENM with the single "Flash," setting a record as one of the fastest-selling debut albums in K-pop history. "비상: Quantum Leap" shipped over 560,000 copies in its first week. Their fandom, One It (원잇), mobilized fast, and the group appeared primed for a multi-year run at the top tier of the industry. That run lasted 132 days. The Mnet vote manipulation investigation, which uncovered systemic irregularities in audience voting across multiple Produce seasons, forced an immediate halt in X1's activities. Despite negotiations between each member's individual agencies, the group disbanded on January 6, 2020. Their entire catalog amounts to a mini album, a pre-debut EP, and a concert tour that ended early. Several members went on to significant careers post-disbandment. Cho Seung-youn became WOODZ, one of Korea's most lauded indie crossover acts. Kim Yo-han joined WEi. Son Dong-pyo built a solo career as Dongpyo. The vote manipulation case resulted in criminal convictions for several Mnet producers in 2021, a landmark ruling that reshaped accountability in Korean entertainment and permanently altered how survival shows are structured.