# Lee Leo
**Lee Leo** (이리오; born 2002), known mononymously as **Leo**, is a Korean-Australian singer and songwriter based in South Korea. He is the leader of the boy group ALPHA DRIVE ONE, formed through the 2025 Mnet survival program [Boys II Planet](https://www.edgepedia.org/boys-ii-planet), and previously debuted as a solo R&B artist under 131 Label, the label founded by the rapper B.I.[1](https://kpop.fandom.com/wiki/Leo_%28ALPHA_DRIVE_ONE%29)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 2002, Sydney, Australia; height 179 cm[2](https://share.mnetplus.world/boys2planet/participants/683d082b9d605a41583cecec?hl=en) |
| Solo debut | Digital single "One Look", August 17, 2023, under 131 Label[1](https://kpop.fandom.com/wiki/Leo_%28ALPHA_DRIVE_ONE%29) |
| Pre-debut group | Trainee A, a BigHit Music pre-debut project (2021–2022)[3](https://kstationtv.com/2025/07/20/trainee-a-the-spotlight-shines-on-them-once-again/?amp=&lang=en) |
| Boys II Planet | Finished 6th in the September 25, 2025 finale with 4,147,134 points, earning a place in ALPHA DRIVE ONE[4](https://www.tenasia.com/music/2025092699834) |
| Group debut | ALPHA DRIVE ONE debuted January 12, 2026 with the EP *Euphoria*, title track "FREAK ALARM"[5](https://www.melon.com/artist/detail.htm?artistId=4708940&snsGate=Y&type=art) |
| Labels | BigHit Music (2019–2022), 131 Label (2023–2024), GRID Entertainment and WakeOne (2025–present)[1](https://kpop.fandom.com/wiki/Leo_%28ALPHA_DRIVE_ONE%29) |
## Early life
Lee Leo was born in Sydney, Australia, and is a second-generation Korean-Australian.[1](https://kpop.fandom.com/wiki/Leo_%28ALPHA_DRIVE_ONE%29) He moved to Korea on his own at 17 to pursue a music career.[6](https://kprofiles.com/boys2planet-profile/) He has said that the global rise of K-pop and Korean dramas convinced him Korea was the right place to build his career, and he has named BTS's V as his role model.[7](https://www.allkpop.com/article/2023/12/interview-leo-on-solo-debut-with-one-look-im-very-excited-because-theres-so-much-more-for-me-to-show) • [6](https://kprofiles.com/boys2planet-profile/)
## Trainee A and departure from BigHit
Leo trained under BigHit Music and was announced in March 2021 as a member of [Trainee A](https://www.edgepedia.org/trainee-a), a pre-debut boy band project intended to debut in the second half of 2022, alongside Lee Sang-won, James, Han Ji-hoon, Jo Woo-chan, Yorch, Justin Jay, Park Jun-il, and Park In-hyuk.[3](https://kstationtv.com/2025/07/20/trainee-a-the-spotlight-shines-on-them-once-again/?amp=&lang=en) On December 23, 2022, the closing of Trainee A's social media channels confirmed that the debut project had been canceled.[3](https://kstationtv.com/2025/07/20/trainee-a-the-spotlight-shines-on-them-once-again/?amp=&lang=en) Leo left BigHit in August 2022, before the cancellation was announced.[3](https://kstationtv.com/2025/07/20/trainee-a-the-spotlight-shines-on-them-once-again/?amp=&lang=en) Reporting on the departure has connected it to controversy over lyrics he had written as a teenager, for which he later apologized publicly.[8](https://fanplus.co.kr/en-US/community/misc/116739977)
## Solo career
Leo first showed his songwriting with the track "Move On", released on [SoundCloud](https://www.edgepedia.org/soundcloud) in 2021.[7](https://www.allkpop.com/article/2023/12/interview-leo-on-solo-debut-with-one-look-im-very-excited-because-theres-so-much-more-for-me-to-show) After leaving BigHit he signed with 131 Label, the company of the singer and producer B.I, whose music programs he had admired while growing up in Sydney.[9](https://numero.jp/interview417/) He made his solo debut on August 17, 2023 with the digital single "One Look", an R&B pop song about love at first sight, on which he is credited as one of the lyricists.[1](https://kpop.fandom.com/wiki/Leo_%28ALPHA_DRIVE_ONE%29) • [7](https://www.allkpop.com/article/2023/12/interview-leo-on-solo-debut-with-one-look-im-very-excited-because-theres-so-much-more-for-me-to-show) Two days after the release he performed the song at the KIIS FM K-Pop Village at KCON LA 2023 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, as part of a global promotion with iHeartMedia, and gave interviews to Billboard, NME, and other outlets.[10](https://www.etnews.com/20230823000135) In interviews he named Drake, PARTYNEXTDOOR, and [Bryson Tiller](https://www.edgepedia.org/bryson-tiller) among his favorite artists.[11](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/leo-talks-single-one-look-211410594.html)
His first mini album, *Come Closer*, followed in May 2024; it is a four-track EP blending pop and R&B, with songs including "Pretty Plzzz" and "Farewell", the latter influenced by B.I.[3](https://kstationtv.com/2025/07/20/trainee-a-the-spotlight-shines-on-them-once-again/?amp=&lang=en) • [12](https://www.rollingstone.co.uk/music/k-pop-star-leo-talks-about-his-latest-music-40318/) • [13](https://theknockturnal.com/come-closer-leo/) He also competed on the rap survival show RAP:PUBLIC in 2024, where he was eliminated early after finishing 20th.[6](https://kprofiles.com/boys2planet-profile/)
## Boys II Planet and ALPHA DRIVE ONE
On May 24, 2025, GRID Entertainment announced that it had signed Leo and his former Trainee A teammate Lee Sang-won, who would debut as the duo LEO & SANGWON.[6](https://kprofiles.com/boys2planet-profile/)
In the live finale on September 25, 2025, Leo finished sixth of the top eight with 4,147,134 points and joined the debut group ALPHA DRIVE ONE (ALD1), an eight-member multinational boy band formed through about 26 million votes from 223 countries and regions.[4](https://www.tenasia.com/music/2025092699834) • [5](https://www.melon.com/artist/detail.htm?artistId=4708940&snsGate=Y&type=art) Before debuting, the group previewed the song "FORMULA" at the 2025 MAMA Awards and performed at the [Melon Music Awards](https://www.edgepedia.org/melon-music-awards).[5](https://www.melon.com/artist/detail.htm?artistId=4708940&snsGate=Y&type=art) • [14](https://www.koreajoongangdaily.com/entertainment/a-new-beginning-alpha-drive-one-starts-k-pop-journey-with-full-throttle-debut/12257725)
ALPHA DRIVE ONE debuted on January 12, 2026 with the EP *Euphoria* and the hip-hop dance title track "FREAK ALARM".[5](https://www.melon.com/artist/detail.htm?artistId=4708940&snsGate=Y&type=art) The six-track EP, which also includes "FORMULA", "Raw Flame", and "Cinnamon Shake", reached number 2 on the domestic album chart and became a million seller.[5](https://www.melon.com/artist/detail.htm?artistId=4708940&snsGate=Y&type=art) At the debut showcase in Seoul, Leo described the debut as a "new beginning" and said the group practiced every day to show their best.[14](https://www.koreajoongangdaily.com/entertainment/a-new-beginning-alpha-drive-one-starts-k-pop-journey-with-full-throttle-debut/12257725) In a 2026 interview he named his next goal as making music for a long time, writing songs alongside group activities.[15](https://enews.imbc.com/News/ViewAmp/519123)
## References
1. [Leo (ALPHA DRIVE ONE), Kpop Wiki (Fandom)](https://kpop.fandom.com/wiki/Leo_%28ALPHA_DRIVE_ONE%29)
2. [LEE LEO participant profile, Mnet Plus (Boys II Planet)](https://share.mnetplus.world/boys2planet/participants/683d082b9d605a41583cecec?hl=en)
3. [TRAINEE A: The spotlight shines on them once again, KSTATION TV](https://kstationtv.com/2025/07/20/trainee-a-the-spotlight-shines-on-them-once-again/?amp=&lang=en)
4. [ALPHA DRIVE ONE Emerges as the New K-Pop Sensation from Mnet's 'BOYS II PLANET', TenAsia](https://www.tenasia.com/music/2025092699834)
5. [ALPHA DRIVE ONE artist profile, Melon](https://www.melon.com/artist/detail.htm?artistId=4708940&snsGate=Y&type=art)
6. [BOYS II PLANET (Survival Show) Contestants Profile, Kpop Profiles](https://kprofiles.com/boys2planet-profile/)
7. [LEO (리오) on solo debut with "One Look", allkpop interview](https://www.allkpop.com/article/2023/12/interview-leo-on-solo-debut-with-one-look-im-very-excited-because-theres-so-much-more-for-me-to-show)
8. [Ilio (LEE LEO) Complete Profile, Fanplus Community](https://fanplus.co.kr/en-US/community/misc/116739977)
9. [LEOインタビュー「オーストラリアから単身韓国へ」, Numero TOKYO](https://numero.jp/interview417/)
10. [리오(LEO), 美 LA 데뷔 무대→외신 인터뷰까지, 전자신문](https://www.etnews.com/20230823000135)
11. [LEO Talks New Single 'One Look,' Being Inspired by Drake, Bryson Tiller & More, Billboard via Yahoo Entertainment](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/leo-talks-single-one-look-211410594.html)
12. [Leo talks about his latest EP 'Come Closer' and collaborating with B.I, Rolling Stone UK](https://www.rollingstone.co.uk/music/k-pop-star-leo-talks-about-his-latest-music-40318/)
13. ['Come Closer' as LEO Dives into His Debut Solo EP Journey, The Knockturnal](https://theknockturnal.com/come-closer-leo/)
14. ['A new beginning': Alpha Drive One starts K-pop journey with full-throttle debut, Korea JoongAng Daily](https://www.koreajoongangdaily.com/entertainment/a-new-beginning-alpha-drive-one-starts-k-pop-journey-with-full-throttle-debut/12257725)
15. [알디원 리오 "실패했던 모든 순간이 가장 큰 배움", iMBC 연예](https://enews.imbc.com/News/ViewAmp/519123)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Music scenes › East and Southeast Asian pop scenes › K-pop and the Korean popular music scene › Artists, groups, and people: K-pop and the Korean popular music scene › Fourth- and fifth-generation idol groups › Titles I to O*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 19, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 19, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license