He wrote in English, “As I approach my 10th anniversary, I’ve found myself wanting to take on new challenges, explore new possibilities, and discover new versions of myself.”
He shared that the decision came “after a lot of thought and many heartfelt discussions with the members and the staff at SM”.
As he thanked the label, his fellow members and fans for their support on his journey, he affirmed that he “will continue [his] activities as Ten of NCT and WayV” while he prepares to showcase “new sides of ‘Ten’ and to evolve in new ways as a solo artiste in this next chapter”.
Ten, whose real name is Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul, debuted in 2016 as a member of NCT U, a sub-unit of NCT, as the first Thai artiste to debut under the label. He is also a member of WayV, the China-based sub-unit of the K-pop group that debuted in 2019.
On Apr 3, SM Entertainment announced that NCT’s Mark will leave both the K-pop group and the label, sending shockwaves across the fandom and K-pop community.