On the evening of October 13, SM Entertainment announced that male idol Seunghan will leave the group RIIZE. This information is surprising, because SM just announced Seunghan's return to activities on October 11.
Seunghan has been on hiatus since November last year due to personal scandals. SM's decision to let the male idol return has been met with harsh criticism.
The fan community of 6 members of RIIZE (Shotaro, Eunseok, Sungchan, Wonbin, Sohee, Anton) took turns sending white wreaths to protest in front of SM headquarters. It is reported that on the evening of October 11 alone, nearly 1,000 wreaths were sent in front of SM Company, the scene was like a "funeral home".
In the latest announcement, SM expressed regret over the decision to let Seunghan return: “We sincerely apologize for causing confusion and deep hurt to BRIIZE (RIIZE fandom) due to the announcement of Seunghan's return on October 11.
We are especially sorry for not prioritizing the achievements that the 6 RIIZE members have worked hard to achieve, and the support of BRIIZE. We apologize for prioritizing the company's viewpoint, and not protecting the precious moments that RIIZE and the fans have experienced."
After considering the opinions and reactions of fans, the company decided that Seunghan will officially leave the group RIIZE.
Before that, the wave of protest against Seunghan and SM had spread. Not only the RIIZE fan community in Korea, but many international fan groups joined hands to place wreaths and trucks with protest messages sent to SM headquarters.
Some international fan groups were planning to continue protesting from Monday, but SM suddenly made an announcement, so the wreath and banner protests will end early.
The public believes that SM's decision is wise and timely because Seunghan has been involved in many scandals such as revealing intimate photos and livestreaming with his girlfriend when he was a trainee. He has also been rumored to have many other scandals such as smoking on the street, causing his girlfriend to have an abortion, badmouthing his seniors, etc.
During his hiatus, Seunghan was even seen drinking and hanging out with friends. In the strict Kpop industry, idols involved in scandals are boycotted. There have been many cases where idols had to leave their groups because of scandals.
However, SM did not talk about ending Seunghan's contract, so the audience speculated that Seunghan would likely debut as a solo artist, like Lucas (former NCT member).
