Following an virtually year-long absence, the seventh member of rising Ok-pop group RIIZE will reunite with his band buddies.
RIIZE’s official social media accounts disclosed that Seunghan will progressively interact in particular group actions beginning in November, marking a comeback that has been eagerly anticipated but entangled in perplexing controversy.
Commencing in August 2023, Seunghan’s hiatus originated from leaked pre-debut photos and movies of the younger luminary that incited criticism inside sure segments of South Korea’s extra conservative societal panorama. The visuals portrayed Seunghan in a mattress with an unidentified girl and smoking a cigarette, prompting some admirers to denounce his conduct as unsuitable for a Ok-pop icon and name for his expulsion from RIIZE. Last November, the group’s report label, SM Entertainment, declared that Seunghan would “suspend activities indefinitely” whereas pondering on his actions with no subsequent updates from the label, leaving followers and trade insiders to invest about his future.
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The upheaval surrounding Seunghan’s reappearance mirrored the broader conflict between the worldwide ambitions of Ok-pop performers and the calls for positioned on them by native audiences. Although RIIZE has garnered international recognition for its music and the group’s real strategy to social media and fan interplay — spotlighted in a Billboard digital characteristic hailing them as “K-pop stars on the rise” again in June — Seunghan’s circumstance sheds mild on the mounting stress on internationally famend idols to stick to conventional values in an ever-evolving trade.
In the declaration, SM Entertainment acknowledged each Seunghan’s private growth throughout his absence and the label’s inside deliberation on the timing of his return. While many followers will embrace his comeback (an online petition requesting his return had 20,000 signatures), the selection to reintegrate him into RIIZE marks a essential second in how the group will steer its future course each domestically and internationally and, doubtlessly, how the Ok-pop trade can navigate cultural conflict controversies extra easily.
Seunghan proceeded to comply with up on the assertion with a handwritten be aware uploaded to RIIZE’s Weverse account, through which he expressed remorse to his followers, firm, and fellow band members. The 21-year-old revealed that he contemplated his future as a musician however highlighted that his RIIZE buddies Shotaro, Eunseok, Sungchan, Wonbin, Sohee, and Anton truly reached out to him.
“Due to causing immense disappointment, I contemplated more realistic thoughts such as, ‘Will I be able to perform on stage again?'” he penned. “During that period, the members once again supported me. It must have been an incredibly difficult decision, and I am only overwhelmed with gratitude and feelings of regret for being given another opportunity. I comprehend that there is much I must demonstrate to the members who have extended a helping hand again, the fans who fear that the progress made during my absence might be tainted, and the company that made the challenging decision. Naturally, I feel weighed down and apprehensive about this.”
Earlier in the present day (Oct. 10), RIIZE unveiled the “KENZIE RE:WORKS” remix of their preliminary buzz monitor “Memories,” which premiered forward of the septet’s formal debut in September 2023.
Read the whole assertion beneath (with translation provided via Soompi):
To the BRIIZE [RIIZE’s fandom] who love RIIZE,
Hello, that is Wizard Production, who's liable for producing for RIIZE. We want to cautiously declare relating to member Seunghan’s return and the route of RIIZE’s future engagements.
As the followers are conscious, it has been roughly 10 months since Seunghan went on a break from group actions resulting from issues with his pre-debut private life.
Seunghan admits that his previous actions had been incorrect, and he has presently ceased actions for nearly a yr whereas deeply considering [his actions] and feeling apologetic in the direction of the opposite members and his followers. We additionally acknowledged that Seunghan’s previous actions weren't appropriate as an artist, which is why it took us a appreciable period of time to deliberate on the timing of his return to actions.
Since there was no announcement about Seunghan’s actions, the followers progressed from mere curiosity to changing into anxious and frightened, and we perceive these sentiments. However, as we extended the deliberation from numerous angles, [our decision took time], and we genuinely apologize for less than conveying our choice about RIIZE’s future engagements at this juncture.
We invested in depth effort in planning RIIZE even previous to their debut, and we've got concluded that RIIZE’s subsequent chapter can be much more vital if the seven members had been united. Consequently, following quite a few consultations with the employees and members in regards to the group’s future engagements, it has been decided that Seunghan will rejoin the group. After becoming a member of the group and making ready for a sure period, we intend for Seunghan to steadily partake in a few of the group’s deliberate actions for November and greet the followers afresh.
Even throughout his hiatus, Seunghan has constantly honed his expertise, and as he nonetheless has a lot to exhibit sooner or later, we hope that you'll regard him warmly.
Once once more, we sincerely apologize for inflicting confusion and misery to the followers who've witnessed and cheered for RIIZE’s development. Nevertheless, as RIIZE is a group striving to ascend and understand their aspirations collectively, the members view the group as their foremost precedence and are, even now, diligently training [for their forthcoming engagements]. We request that you've religion in our choice in order that we will authentically current to the followers a RIIZE comprising of seven members.
Seunghan’s Weverse message (via Soompi):
Hello, that is Seunghan.
First and foremost, I genuinely need to apologize to the members and the followers. When the images from earlier than my debut had been launched, though they depicted me, I used to be profoundly disheartened and sorrowful about myself. If I felt that approach, I am unable to fathom how the members and followers by my aspect will need to have felt.
You will need to have skilled anger, shock, and disappointment. I categorical heartfelt regrets to the followers who supported us from the very origin, a pivotal interval, and to those that had been affected by my immature actions. I additionally really feel remorseful in the direction of the members, with whom I ought to have collaborated diligently to progress collectively, thereby resulting in my sudden cessation of actions. I lengthen my apologies to everybody who needed to endure and surmount that state of affairs. I skilled each sorrow for the circumstance and a sense of despair for not with the ability to unite with everybody.
Due to inflicting such immense disappointment, I continued to entertain extra sensible ideas equivalent to, “Will I be able to perform on stage again? Can I continue creating music?”
Throughout that interval, the members as soon as once more reached out to me. It will need to have been an arduous choice, and I'm solely stuffed with gratitude and emotions of regret for granting me one other alternative.
I perceive that there's a lot I must exhibit to the members who've prolonged their hand as soon as extra, the followers who're anxious that the progress achieved in my absence may be sullied, and the corporate that executed the difficult choice. Naturally, I really feel burdened and fearful relating to this side.
Nonetheless, I'm resolute to labor even tougher and carry out higher as a result of belief vested in me.
I'll attempt to be a commendable member who assumes accountability and doesn't diminish the achievements constructed up by the members. I aspire to turn out to be an indispensable presence to the staff RIIZE.
Once once more, I categorical apologies to the members and firm personnel who made the demanding choice and to the followers who will need to have been startled. I'll function with better diligence and accountability within the days forward.
