Abroad
RIIZE member Seunghan leaves group 2 days after returning from 10-month hiatus
He had been on an indefinite hiatus since November 2023.
October 15, 2024, 10:36 AM
RIIZE member Seunghan has officially left the K-pop boy group just two days after returning from a 10-month hiatus.
On Oct. 13, 2024, Wizard Production, SM Entertainment's production team that manages RIIZE, issued a public apology for the confusion surrounding Seunghan's departure and announced his exit in a press release.
안녕하세요, 위저드 프로덕션입니다. pic.twitter.com/cquJ5WyjDT
— RIIZE (@RIIZE_official) October 13, 2024
The company initially believed that Seunghan's return, following his "reflection on past wrongdoings", would "be able to give the artist and the fans greater joy."
However, they acknowledged that the announcement had caused more confusion and hurt among fans than anticipated.
"We ruminated carefully on each and every one of the opinions and responses sent in by fans, and we realized that our decision had actually hurt fans more."
The statement further revealed that Seunghan had consistently expressed his desire to leave the group for the wellbeing of his fellow members and the fanbase.
In a handwritten letter that Seunghan shared on the fan platform Weverse separately, he reflected:
“I think that my leaving the group is the right path for everyone. I don’t want to cause any more hurt or confusion for the fans.”
Photo from Weverse.
On hiatus since November 2023
Seunghan, had been on an indefinite hiatus since November 2023 following several scandals, including the leak of personal videos and photos from his trainee days that depicted inappropriate behaviour.
Following backlash from fans over his reinstatement, including organised protests and boycotts, SM Entertainment initially announced his return to RIIZE on Oct. 11, 2024.
In response to his return, some fans displayed funeral wreaths outside the SM Entertainment building, with messages such as "RIIZE is Forever Six" and “Seunghan leave RIIZE.”
@2183167593 sm事務所前 #riize#라이즈 ♬ オリジナル楽曲 - ♡
With Seunghan's departure, RIIZE will continue as a six-member group with members Shotaro, Eunseok, Sungchan, Wonbin, Sohee, and Anton.
The group recently completed their first global tour and performed in Singapore in July 2024.
Top images via RIIZE's Instagram.
Congratulations! You have made it to the end of the article (whether by speed-scrolling or otherwise). This alone qualifies you to apply for the role of an Editorial Intern (Nova) at Mothership. Click here to find out more.
