Lower than 48 hours after RIIZE introduced it could welcome again seventh member Seunghan after a controversial 10-month hiatus, the choice has been flipped in a surprising about-face.
On Sunday (Oct. 13), two administrators beneath Wizard Manufacturing — the administration division beneath the Okay-pop label SM Leisure that’s in command of RIIZE — shared the information that Seunghan will completely go away the boy band. In accordance with the letter from Kim Hyeong Guk and Lee Sang Min, the return information was to “give the artist and the followers higher pleasure” earlier than, “we realized that our determination had really harm followers extra and brought on them higher confusion as a substitute.”
Whereas some followers celebrated the comeback, others protested the choice by surrounding SM Leisure’s native headquarters in Seoul with funeral wreaths — an more and more frequent however regarding transfer from Okay-pop followers trying to make a daring assertion, which has additionally not too long ago been employed by the likes of followers of BTS and NewJeans.
“Seunghan has constantly expressed his need to go away the group for the sake of the members and the followers,” Wizard Manufacturing added. “Out of respect for the artist’s determination, we’re asserting Seunghan’s departure from RIIZE, as a substitute of his becoming a member of the group.”
The announcement included a promise that “We are going to help Seunghan sooner or later in order that he can showcase his skills and observe his desires,” seemingly indicating he’ll stay signed beneath SM Leisure. (At press time, Seunghan remains to be listed as a member of RIIZE on SM’s official web site as he was throughout his hiatus.)
Seunghan adopted up with a handwritten letter posted to RIIZE’s Weverse account, the place he nonetheless has an energetic account as a gaggle member, to elucidate his determination to go away.
“After pondering deeply whether or not I’ve been pondering solely of myself an excessive amount of, whether or not I’m inflicting an excessive amount of hurt to the members and the corporate, and whether or not it’s actually okay for me to be a part of RIIZE, who needs to be liked, I solely felt anxious and apologetic,” the 21-year-old wrote. “So I believe that my leaving the group is the appropriate path for everybody. I don’t wish to trigger any extra harm or confusion for the followers, and I don’t wish to hurt the members any additional, and I additionally don’t wish to harm the corporate any additional.”
Seunghan added that he didn’t wish to trigger rigidity or infighting between followers.
Beforehand, on Oct. 11, RIIZE’s social media accounts introduced that Seunghan would “progressively” rejoin the act starting in November, citing “quite a few discussions with the employees and members in regards to the course of the group’s future actions.” He additionally greeted followers in a letter, writing, “The members held my hand as soon as once more. I’m solely crammed with gratitude and apologetic emotions for giving me one other probability.”
Curiously, RIIZE member Wonbin had instantly addressed followers about Seunghan’s return simply hours earlier than the reversal was introduced — till its removing.
Writing on Weverse, Wonbin appeared to sense trepidation from some followers. “I’m anxious that you just guys would wrestle extra and be confused if the members don’t say a phrase or react to something, so, I’m scripting this after organizing the conversations we’ve had with the members,” the 22-year-old wrote. “I’m certain a lot of you will have questioned if Seunghan was coming again or not loads, or why there wasn’t a transparent reply sooner… us, Seunghan, and the corporate, actually talked about this for an extended time period.”
As Seunghan talked about in his first letter to followers after his introduced return, Wonbin emphasised that the choice got here from inside RIIZE.
“I hope that you just guys notice the members have considered this collectively many times, contemplating this deeply,” Wonbin wrote. “I had needed at all times to make all of our BRIIZE blissful, however I’m sorry I’m unable to do this… I do know this submit will be unable to erase your entire worries, however I hope that it could possibly consolation you in your confusion, even just a bit bit.”
Wonbin’s submit was deleted from RIIZE’s Weverse account after Seunghan’s exit was confirmed. See a screenshot of the eliminated submit, and a translation, from a social media account devoted to sharing RIIZE’s Weverse actions.
Seunghan’s controversies started earlier than RIIZE’s official debut. Since August 2023, the younger singer has handled the fallout of leaked pre-debut pictures and movies of him that ignited backlash inside a few of South Korea’s extra conservative social climates. Pictures confirmed Seunghan in mattress with an unidentified lady and smoking a cigarette, which some followers labeled as inappropriate for a Okay-pop idol, demanding that he exit the group. Final November, SM Leisure introduced that Seunghan would “halt actions indefinitely” with no follow-up information from the label main followers, media and business insiders compelled to take a position about RIIZE’s future.
Learn RIIZE’s full assertion under from Wizard Productions (with translation supplied through Soompi):
Hi there, that is Wizard Manufacturing.
First, we sincerely apologize for hurting BRIIZE [RIIZE’s fandom] and inflicting confusion via our announcement of Seunghan’s return on October 11.
We really feel significantly apologetic for prioritizing Wizard Manufacturing’s place, as a substitute of creating our high priorities the expansion achieved by the six RIIZE members whereas working their hardest; the help of BRIIZE, who’ve been RIIZE’s biggest supply of power throughout that journey; and the preciousness of the occasions that RIIZE and BRIIZE have spent collectively.
We made this determination after debating it for a very long time as a result of we thought that if Seunghan returned after reflecting on his previous wrongdoings and RIIZE confirmed one other stage of development as a gaggle, we’d be capable to give the artist and the followers higher pleasure.
Nonetheless, the announcement of his return, we ruminated rigorously on every one of many opinions and responses despatched in by followers, and we realized that our determination had really harm followers extra and brought on them higher confusion as a substitute.
On the similar time, Seunghan has constantly expressed his need to go away the group for the sake of the members and the followers.
Out of respect for the artist’s determination, we’re asserting Seunghan’s departure from RIIZE, as a substitute of his becoming a member of the group.
We are going to help Seunghan sooner or later in order that he can showcase his skills and observe his desires.
Above all else, we additionally sincerely apologize for creating hardships and confusion for the six members who’ve, ever since their debut, at all times given their all whereas pondering of the followers and who made the RIIZE of at the moment doable by pondering and dealing more durable than anybody else in every second.
We are going to proceed to do our utmost to help the RIIZE members in order that they will develop even additional sooner or later as nicely.
Wizard Manufacturing might be cautious and cautious in all issues sooner or later, and we are going to work exhausting in order that RIIZE and BRIIZE might be blissful collectively for a very long time.
– Wizard Manufacturing administrators Kim Hyeong Guk, Lee Sang Min
Learn Seunghan’s full letter under (with translation supplied through Soompi):
Hi there, that is Seunghan.
I do know that many individuals took the matter of my return to actions severely, and I too am conscious of the seriousness of the present state of affairs.
After pondering deeply whether or not I’ve been pondering solely of myself an excessive amount of, whether or not I’m inflicting an excessive amount of hurt to the members and the corporate, and whether or not it’s actually okay for me to be a part of RIIZE, who needs to be liked, I solely felt anxious and apologetic.
So I believe that my leaving the group is the appropriate path for everybody.
I don’t wish to trigger any extra harm or confusion for the followers, and I don’t wish to hurt the members any additional, and I additionally don’t wish to harm the corporate any additional.
I’d prefer to thank the corporate and the members, who made efforts to present me one other alternative, and I’m additionally each sorry and grateful to the individuals who have cheered me on all this time regardless of my many shortcomings.
I actually don’t need the connection between RIIZE and BRIIZE, who had been rising collectively whereas supporting each other, to be broken due to me. It additionally breaks my coronary heart to see the followers, for whom it needs to be greater than sufficient to only love RIIZE, combating with one another due to me.
I’ll sincerely cheer on RIIZE, whom I like, whereas hoping that they may obtain extra love sooner or later.
