SM Entertainment has officially confirmed Seunghan's permanent departure from RIIZE.
On October 11, RIIZE announced that Seunghan would be returning to the group after a nearly year-long hiatus. However, the news of his return sparked reactions from K-netizens, who revisited his past controversies, leading fans to boycott RIIZE and protest by sending funeral wreaths to the company.
On October 13, Seunghan issued a heartfelt handwritten letter explaining his decision not to rejoin the group, citing his deep concern for RIIZE's future and the well-being of their fans.
The official statement from SM’s Wizard Production, which manages RIIZE, reads:
"Hello, this is Wizard Production.
First, we sincerely apologize to all of BRIIZE for the pain and confusion caused by the announcement of Seunghan's return on the 11th. We deeply regret that we did not prioritize the growth achieved by RIIZE’s six members through their tireless efforts, nor the unwavering support from BRIIZE, which has been the biggest driving force behind RIIZE’s progress. Instead, we placed the production's perspective first, and for that, we are truly sorry.
We believed that if Seunghan could reflect on his past mistakes and return to the group, it would allow RIIZE to grow as a team and bring greater happiness to both the members and the fans. After long and careful consideration, this was the decision we made. However, after closely listening to the reactions and concerns raised by fans, we came to understand that our decision only caused further confusion and distress.
At the same time, Seunghan expressed his intention to leave the group for the sake of his fellow members and the fans. We respect his decision and hereby announce that Seunghan will be departing from RIIZE permanently, rather than rejoining.
We will continue to support Seunghan in pursuing his talents and dreams in the future.
More importantly, we extend our sincere apologies to the six remaining members of RIIZE, who have always given their all for their fans since their debut. They have worked relentlessly and thoughtfully to bring RIIZE to where it is today, and we deeply regret the difficulties and confusion we have caused them. Moving forward, we will provide our full support to help RIIZE grow even further.
Wizard Production will exercise greater caution in all matters moving forward, and we will do our utmost to ensure that RIIZE and BRIIZE continue to share happiness for many years to come.
From Wizard Production's Directors, Kim Hyung Gook and Lee Sang Min."
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