K-Pop Group 1Verse Pulls Across the DMZ
By James Moreau | 05 Sep, 2025

Two North Korean defector members gives 1Verse’s debut a strong social media lift.

1Verse is a five-member K-pop group that officially debuted in July 2025 with its first single album The 1st Verse charting in S. Korea’s Top 40.

The highly anticipated debut featured English and Korean versions of “Shattered” and the pre-release single “Multiverse.”  Just over a month since the debut their singles have already logged 1.3 million plays across Spotify and YouTube.

1Verse’s international media buzz owes to members Hyuk and Seok being North Korean defectors, a K-pop first.  The group also includes two Asian Americans, Kenny from Los Angeles of Chinese descent, and Nathan from Arkansas of Thai and Laotian heritage.  The youngest member, Aito, is from Japan.

The fanfare built alongside the band’s launch can also be attributed to their label’s unique marketing approach which included release of the members’ personal video diaries like “Seok's Mental Health Diary,” dance clips, and lighthearted episodes showcasing the band’s comradery in activities like trying different foods. This strategy has fueled nearly 1,000 YouTube videos yielding 18.7 million views and 123,000 subscribers.  The boy band also has an impressive 753K followers on TikTok and 236K on Instagram.