On March 8, SM Entertainment confirmed that former NCT member Lucas will be returning as a solo artist.

On this day, an official from the label confirmed that Lucas would be making his solo debut in April. They stated, "It's true that Lucas is preparing for solo activities in April. More specific details will be revealed at a later time."

In response, many Korean netizens have expressed disapproval in various online communities since Lucas departed from NCT due to negative controversies surrounding his personal life.

Korean netizens commented:

"Who's going to fangirl over him now?"

"Why are they allowing him to debut as a solo artist?" 

"He's going to continue activities in Korea?"

"SM is just crazy."

"Does he even have the skills to perform solo?"

"That is just amazing."

"In Korea??"

"I guess if you want to go solo, you just cause trouble, leave the group, and stay low for a while."

"Okay...^^"

"I wonder if there are even fans who still support him."

"SM should just invest more time and support for NCT instead of wasting it on him."

"This is why everyone is leaving SM."

"Why is SM taking care of him so much?"

"He can just promote in China, why does he want to stay in Korea?"