A new boy band — already featuring quite a few familiar faces for some K-pop fans — just entered the scene by declaring “I’m Alive.”

“I believe the idea of being alive, for Tunexx, is about knowing oneself,” said leader Donggyu of boy band Tunexx during the group’s debut showcase held at Yes24 Live Hall in eastern Seoul on Tuesday, the day that the seven-member act debuted with “I’m Alive,” the lead track of its first EP, “Set By Us Only.”

“As some of us spent a long time as trainees and also appeared on audition programs, we’ve spent a lot of time reflecting on who we are,” Donggyu continued. “Through that deliberation about what we like and what we’re capable of, we’ve formed a clear determination of how we want to survive in the K-pop industry and walk our own path.”

Tunexx is the latest boy band to debut under IST Entertainment — previously home to Apink and The Boyz — and is the agency’s first new act in about four years since now-disbanded ATBO.

Tunexx consists of seven members: Donggyu, Inhu, Sihwan, Arctic, Taira, Zeon and Sungjun. Donggyu, Inhu, Sihwan and Arctic were contestants on Mnet's reality competition show “Boys II Planet” (2025), while Zeon appeared on MBN's “The Origin - A, B, Or What?” (2022), which formed ATBO.

Donggyu, who made it to the final round of “Boys II Planet” and finished in 15th place, shared that many fellow contestants reached out to congratulate him on the group’s debut.

“While competing on the program, we often talked about how desperately we all wanted to debut,” he said, adding that he is grateful for the supportive messages.

The team’s name, Tunexx, combines the words “tune” and “X,” the latter of which means both “unclassified” and “cross,” according to IST Entertainment. Under the slogan “Tune in to our Frequency,” the group aims to transcend boundaries and broaden its range.

“We don’t define ourselves in specific frames or genres,” said member Inhu. “The fact that we are not afraid of changes or taking on challenges is our strength.”

The group’s debut EP, “Set By Us Only,” features four tracks led by “I’m Alive,” along with B-sides “100%,” “Obsessed” and “Twenty Something.”

Members Donggyu, Zeon and Sihwan all took part in writing lyrics for the lead track and “100%,” while Taira participated in creating the choreography for “100%.”

“I really want to show the passion and love we have for music,” said Sungjun. “My hope is for us to be recognized for our versatility by taking on various new genres and concepts.”

BY SHIN HA-NEE [shin.hanee@joongang.co.kr]