ALPHA DRIVE ONE Joins ‘SUMBAKKOKJIL 2’ as Second Horror Variety Lineup

ALPHA DRIVE ONE is set to bring its newest challenge to the small screen as the group joins ‘SUMBAKKOKJIL 2’, the second season of Mnet Plus’s horror-themed variety series. The group has been named the program’s second player lineup, following CORTIS, and its episode will arrive on Mnet Plus on August 14 before a television broadcast on Mnet the next day.

The title translates to hide-and-seek, but the show turns that familiar game into a tightly timed survival mission. Idols are asked to outlast a mysterious seeker for 4,444 seconds while moving through an intentionally unsettling environment. The format places performance-ready entertainers in a very different kind of spotlight: one built around suspense, quick decisions and the pressure of being watched.

A new setting for the second season

Season 2 is expanding the premise beyond the fear of an unseen figure in the dark. Its new structure draws on urban legends and ghost stories, giving each installment a narrative frame rather than treating the mission as a straightforward chase. Participants are expected to enter the world of a particular story and locate a route out, making the game as much about following clues and confronting the setting as it is about hiding.

The first visual material for ALPHA DRIVE ONE points toward that approach. A group poster places the members in an eerie alley described as a place where time has stopped, while the individual posters carry a warning not to answer. Together, those details suggest that the group’s challenge may use silence, recognition and uncertainty as part of its tension.

That story-led design could give viewers a clearer sense of progression than a conventional variety-game episode. Instead of simply waiting for a seeker to appear, the participants may need to interpret rules, react to changing surroundings and decide whether an apparent clue is safe to follow. The result is likely to test the members’ chemistry as much as their nerve.

From stage teamwork to a survival mission

For ALPHA DRIVE ONE, the appearance offers a chance to show a less polished, more immediate side of group dynamics. K-pop variety programs often reveal how members communicate when plans change, and a horror setting can magnify those instincts. A split-second choice to investigate, stay quiet or regroup can shape the pace of the mission for everyone involved.

The show’s concept also gives each player room to contribute differently. Some may take charge of navigating the space, while others may notice details in the story or help keep the team focused during tense moments. With the episode structured around an escape, individual reactions can become part of a broader team narrative instead of standalone scares.

‘SUMBAKKOKJIL 2’ will release ALPHA DRIVE ONE’s episode on Mnet Plus at 6 p.m. KST on August 14. It will then air on Mnet at 11 p.m. KST on August 15. The schedule places the group within the season’s growing roster while giving fans a new format in which to see its members work together.

As horror and mystery concepts continue to find a place in idol variety programming, the series is leaning into atmosphere as well as competition. ALPHA DRIVE ONE’s upcoming installment will show how the group handles a challenge where the usual goal is not to command the stage, but to find the safest way out before time runs out.