In a jaw-dropping move, K-pop idol Heeseung has announced his exit from the beloved South Korean boy group ENHYPEN. On March 10, BELIFT LAB, a subsidiary of HYBE Labels, issued a statement about the shocking shake-up within the group, originally composed of seven members.

Heeseung, who was the eldest member of the K-pop act, is set to debut as a solo artist after parting ways with it. In light of the unexpected decision, the singer penned a heartfelt letter to address the issue at hand, while also expressing gratitude to ENHYPEN members – Jay, Jake, Sunghoon, Sunoo, Jungwon, and Ni-Ki.

All seven OG members of the group debuted following their appearance on Mnet’s survival competition show I-LAND. ENHYPEN ultimately debuted in 2020 with the EP “Border: Day One,” and became associated with smashing hits like “Given-Taken,” “Drunk-Dazed,” “Sweet Venom,” “XO (Only If You Say Yes),” “Bite Me,” “FEVER,” and many more. The K-pop boy band last released their 7th EP “The Sin: Vanish” in January 2026.

ENHYPEN’s agency issues statement about Heeseung’s exit

BELIFT LAB shared the following official statement on Tuesday:

“BELIFT LAB has given much thought and consideration into ENHYPEN’s future direction and goals. Through in-depth discussions with each of the members about the future they envision and the direction of the team, it became clear that Heeseung has his own distinct musical vision and we have decided to respect it.

As such, Heeseung will be parting ways with ENHYPEN, and ENHYPEN will continue official activities henceforth as a group of six members.

It’s difficult to relay the whole process through a short notice, but this decision comes after extensive deliberation. We understand that this news is a lot to process and may be received with mixed reactions. Nevertheless, we hope you understand that this decision was made for the future of ENHYPEN and Heeseung.

ENHYPEN remains committed to sharing energetic performances with ENGENE. Heeseung will be preparing a solo album as an artist under BELIFT LAB.

We ask for ENGENE’s continued love and support for ENHYPEN and Heeseung as they start a new chapter of their journey.”

Heeseung speaks out after shocking ENHYPEN departure

Meanwhile, Heeseung shared his own side of the story via Weverse after the company’s announcement.

Acknowledging how surprising the news must be for the fandom (ENGENE), he wrote in his letter, “The six years I’ve spent have been filled with moments so overwhelming and precious that it’s hard to fully put them into words. Thanks to the members who shared countless emotions with me and to all of you ENGENE who always filled every empty space with your support, I was able to take step after step toward a dream that once felt impossible to reach.”

“Those times will remain as some of the brightest moments of my life. I will never forget those moments, and I want to continue being someone who supports ENHYPEN more than anyone else.”

K-pop lovers were especially left speechless by the move because no hints whatsoever had signalled towards his departure beforehand. And yet, Heeseung said in his letter that the decision was longtime coming as he had spent a lot of time discussing it with the company. “After thinking deeply about it for a long time, I made a big decision to follow the direction the company suggested so that I can return to ENGENE with an even better version of myself,” he continued.

“As ENGENE all know, I’ve continued working on my own projects and spent a lot of time hoping that one day I could show them to you. There were so many things I wanted to share, but I also didn’t want to push forward only my own desires within the team,” Heeseung added.

“I’m well aware of your concerns and the many things being said. I’m working hard to prepare so that I can meet you again as soon as possible. My desire to come back and greet you with a better version of myself is completely sincere. Because ENGENE have always given endless love and support to someone like me who still has so much to improve on, I also feel very sorry knowing how surprised and worried you must be. But I believe those feelings come from the care and interest you have shown me.

“I will keep moving forward with the great love you have given me engraved in my heart.”

Beyond the announcement of his upcoming solo debut, details surrounding Heeseung’s ENHYPEN exit have neither been outed by the artist nor by the company.