Two days after announcing that he would be rejoining the K-Pop global group, SM Entertainment announced that Seunghan would be leaving RIIZE permanently.
RIIZE debuted on September 4, 2023, with the single album Get a Guitar. The original 7-member lineup included Shotaro, Eunseok, Sungchan, Wonbin, Seunghan, Sohee, and Anton. On October 11, SM Entertainment stated that Seunghan would rejoin the group after a ten-month-long hiatus. After mixed reactions from fans, Wizard Production’s directors Kim Hyeongguk and Lee Sangmin, who oversee RIIZE’s activities within SM Entertainment, announced that Seunghan would actually be leaving the group.
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The company’s statement said that Seunghan rejoining the group would be beneficial as he was “reflecting on his past wrongdoings” and would “be able to give the artist and the fans greater joy.” However, after the heavily mixed reactions from the announcement, they “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 and caused them greater confusion instead.”
“At the same time, Seunghan has consistently expressed his desire to leave the group for the sake of the members and the fans. Out of respect for the artist’s decision, we are announcing Seunghan’s departure from RIIZE, instead of his joining the group,” the statement continued.
Why did Seunghan leave RIIZE?
Seunghan wrote a handwritten note on the fan community app Weverse shortly after the announcement. “After pondering deeply whether I’ve been thinking only of myself too much, whether I’m causing too much harm to the members and the company, and whether it’s really okay for me to be part of RIIZE, who should be loved, I only felt worried and apologetic,” he wrote in the letter in a translation via Soompi. So I think that my leaving the group is the right path for everyone.”
He continued, “I don’t want to cause any more hurt or confusion for the fans, and I don’t want to harm the members any further, and I also don’t want to hurt the company any further. I truly do not want the relationship between RIIZE and BRIIZE, who were growing together while supporting one another, to be damaged because of me. It also breaks my heart to see the fans, for whom it should be more than enough to just love RIIZE, fighting with each other because of me.”
After Seunghan’s return announcement, some netizens sent hundreds of funeral wreaths to SM Entertainment’s offices in Seoul to demand that he leave the group. Many International fans also supported Seunghan after his departure announcement with trending hashtags on X like #JUSTICE_FOR_SEUNGHAN and other fans have also made a petition with over 150,000 signatures titled We want seunghan back! Riize is 7!!!!!
Why was Seunghan put on hiatus from RIIZE?
Seunghan was put on hiatus after details of his personal life spread on the Internet. Pre-debut photos showed Seunghan embracing an unidentified female in bed and smoking. After the photos were leaked, some fans called for Seunghan to leave the group while other fans defended him.
SM Entertainment announced Seunghan would be taking an indefinite hiatus on November 22, 2023. “Seunghan feels mental pressure and responsibility regarding this, so after deep contemplation, he relayed his intention to halt activities for the team,” the company wrote, via Soompi. “We also judged that it is too difficult for him to continue activities through this situation, and respecting his opinion of no longer wanting to cause harm to the team and members, we decided on the indefinite suspension of his activities.”
In a separate note following his return, he wrote, “First of all, I sincerely want to apologize to the members and the fans,” Seunghan wrote in a statement translated by Soompi. “When the photos from before my debut were released, although they were photos of me, I was deeply disappointed and regretful about myself. If even I felt that way, I can’t even imagine how the members and fans by my side must have felt.”
How did the other RIIZE members react to Seunghan’s departure?
Wonbin took to Weverse to express his worries for his fans before the official announcement of Seunghan’s departure. “I am worried that you guys would struggle more and be confused if the members don’t say a word or react to anything, so, I am writing this after organizing the conversations we’ve had with the members,” he wrote in translation via Billboard. “I’m sure many of you have wondered if Seunghan was coming back or not a lot, or why there wasn’t a clear answer sooner… us, Seunghan, and the company, really talked about this for a long period of time.”
“I hope that you guys realize the members have thought about this together again and again, considering this deeply,” Wonbin wrote. “I had wanted always to make all of our BRIIZE happy, but I’m sorry I am unable to do that… I know this post will not be able to erase all of your worries, but I hope that it can comfort you in your confusion, even just a little bit.” The post was deleted right after the exit was confirmed.
