The morning of March 10, it was announced that one of modern K-pop's most popular boy bands, ENHYPEN, is losing one of its founding members.
The announcement was made by Belift Lab, a subsidiary of Hybe, the corporation responsible for the foundation of many of the genre's most notable acts, including BTS, NewJeans, Illit (another Belift Lab group), Seventeen, Tomorrow X Together, and more.
ENHYPEN's statement
"Hello. This is BELIFT LAB," the social media update began. "We sincerely thank all ENGENE for your unwavering support for ENHYPEN, and we would like to provide an update regarding ENHYPEN's future activity structure."
© Getty Images"Our company has been contemplating and discussing the direction ENHYPEN should pursue moving forward and the next goals to achieve. We held in-depth conversations about each member's vision for the future and the team's direction, and in that process, we confirmed the clear musical aspirations that Heeseung is pursuing, leading us to decide to respect them."
"As a result, Heeseung will be leaving the ENHYPEN team, and ENHYPEN will continue its activities as a 6-member group starting from official schedules going forward," it confirmed, adding that Heeseung will indeed be continuing his musical career as a solo act.
"While it's difficult to fully explain the entire process in a short statement, we want to convey that this is a decision made after much careful consideration over a long period," their statement continued, which was posted across all of ENHYPEN's social media pages.
© Getty Images"We understand that this news may be hard for all of our fans to accept with the same feelings. Nevertheless, we kindly ask for your generous understanding, as this decision is a choice for the future of both ENHYPEN and Heeseung."
"ENHYPEN will do its utmost to deliver unwavering stages and energy to you, ENGENE," it went on, noting also that Heeseung will stay with Belift Lab and release a solo album soon. "We ask for your unwavering love and warm support toward ENHYPEN and Heeseung as they embark on this new challenge. Thank you."
Fan reactions and Heeseung's response
It's safe to say, fans were shocked, reacting to the sudden news on social media with comments like: "Girl what, had to check what day it is today just in case," and: "This is out of nowhere, right?!? I saw the weverse notification and immediately thought, 'why is this is so ominous'," as well as: "I'm not an engene in any way and I'm still completely floored. It's gotta be a prank."
Heeseung himself shared a statement on the news, saying in part: "First of all, I know many ENGENEs must have been surprised to hear my news, and I imagine this sudden message may have left you with many questions. That's why I wanted to speak to you directly."
© Getty ImagesHe expressed his love for the members of ENHYPEN and the times they had shared, stating his desire to continue cheering them on from the sidelines. "As many of you know, I have continued working on personal projects, dedicating a lot of time to them with the hope that one day I could share them with you."
"There were so many things I wanted to show you, but at the same time, I didn't want my own ambitions to come before the team. I'm aware of the concerns and many conversations surrounding this, and I'm working hard to prepare so I can meet you again soon. My sincere hope is to return to you with an even better version of myself."
The history of ENHYPEN
© Getty ImagesENHYPEN was formed in 2020 through a selection process of the survival competition show I-Land. The group's other six members, Jay, Jake, Sunghoon, Sunoo, Jungwon, and Ni-Ki, will continue together. They've all been part of the group from the very beginning, as was Heeseung.
Since their debut with their 2020 EP Border: Day One, they've released three studio albums and six more EPs, with seven top 10 hits on the Billboard 200. In January of 2026, their latest EP, The Sin: Vanish, kicked off a new The Sin series of records. There is no news as of writing on the release of their first project as a six-person group.
