As of Tuesday (March 10), ENHYPEN is no longer seven members — and ENGENE is in total disbelief over the sudden exit of HEESEUNG.
After HYBE label BELIFT LAB announced on social media that the 24-year-old performer would be “parting ways” with the group after six years together to pursue solo activities, devotees in ENHYPEN’s fanbase flooded social media with messages of shock and concern. And while HEESEUNG himself wrote in a Weverse letter shortly afterward that he’d chosen to follow “the direction the company suggested” in regards to his solo work “after thinking deeply for a long time,” much of ENGENE expressed doubt that the decision had really come from him.
“just 2 days ago heeseung said that they’re planning to go back to europe so what happened?” one person wrote on X, sharing a video of the performer telling a fan about ENHYPEN’s hopes to perform again in the continent.
“clearly Heeseung’s departure was unplanned, how is it that this announcement was done on a whim?” wrote another fan. “Is it really that urgent? The timing seems so off honestly.”
“i just don’t get why heeseung has to leave the group to pursue his music,” posted one confused listener. “whyyyy? can’t it exist at the same time? why does it have to be this way? i feel like my heart is breaking into pieces. enhypen won’t be the same without him. i just wish things could be different, that he could chase his dreams without leaving the group he’s worked so hard with.”
Another person joked alongside a video of a man crying, “okay fun idea @ENHYPEN how about you collab with this solo artist under belift named heeseung.”
Countless other fans banded together to launch a petition on Change.org protesting HEESEUNG’s departure. At press time, the page already had more than 200,000 signatures within just five hours.
Billboard has reached out to HYBE for comment.
And just as K-pop fans are shocked by the news, so are other artists. One video that’s been circulating shows Yoon Yechan of boy band 82MAJOR seemingly reacting to BELIFT’s announcement in real time, with his jaw dropping for several long seconds before he yells, “What?!”
ENHYPEN first debuted as a septet in 2020, with HEESEUNG working alongside bandmates JUNGWON, JAY, JAKE, SUNGHOON, SUNOO and NI-KI. Just a couple of months before the membership shakeup, the group had topped Billboard‘s Top Artists chart for the first time ever, thanks to the January release of THE SIN : VANISH. The set debuted at No. 1 on the Top Album Sales chart, selling 113,000 copies in its first week, according to Luminate.
In his Weverse statement, HEESEUNG had nothing but kind words for his time spent in the band. “For me, six years was a time filled with moments that were overwhelming and precious beyond words,” he wrote, according to platform’s English translation of the original Korean. “I don’t want to forget those moments, and I want to be the one who continues to support ENHYPEN more than anyone else.”
He also elaborated on his choice to step away. “As you all know, I’ve been working on my personal work, and I’ve spent a lot of time hoping to show it to the ENGENE,” HEESEUNG explained. “There were a lot of things I wanted to show, but I also didn’t want to put my greed ahead of the team.”
