On September 25, the live broadcast revealed the final lineup of trainees set to debut as ALPHA DRIVE ONE (ALD1). The final rankings and scores were:

Lee Sangwon – 7,293,777 points

Zhou Anxin – 5,950,137 points

He Xinlong – 5,731,887 points

Kim Geonwoo – 4,854,331 points

Zhang Jiahao – 4,238,175 points

Lee Leo – 4,147,134 points

Chung Sanghyeon – 3,862,466 points

Kim Junseo – 3,856,677 points

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Right after the debut lineup was announced, host Kim Jaejoong held up a red ball on stage and declared, “The story of the planet doesn’t end here.” While some fans expected an additional debut announcement, it was instead the teaser for a new Chinese survival program titled PLANET C: HOME RACE.

Originally, Boys II Planet was promoted with the concept of debuting separate teams for Korea (K) and China (C). However, during production, the teams were merged, leading to criticism that Chinese trainees, who were initially promised a China-based debut, had been misled—prompting accusations of a “job scam.”

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In the end, three Chinese trainees (Zhou Anxin, He Xinlong, and Zhang Jiahao) made it into the final debut group. Yet the revelation of an additional Chinese survival show reignited controversy, this time from Korean fans, who argued that Korean trainees lost their rightful opportunities. If the Chinese show had been planned from the start, then 9th-place Yoo Kangmin and 10th-place Chuei Li-yu could have debuted in ALD1.

Fans reacted angrily, comparing the situation to a scam. Comments included: “If this was the plan, why not just separate the groups from the start?” and “What happens to the Korean trainees who got votes but didn’t debut?” Others criticized the inconsistency: “At first it was called a scam against Chinese trainees, but in the end, it’s the Korean ones who were played. How could they compete against the China votes?”

Mnet has acknowledged the backlash and is monitoring fan reactions. The controversy highlights the critical need for transparent and consistent planning in survival programs. In global K-pop projects, maintaining fairness and trust between contestants and fans is essential to avoid eroding credibility.

Sources: Daum