{"id":379239,"date":"2026-04-07T08:34:08","date_gmt":"2026-04-07T08:34:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/379239\/"},"modified":"2026-04-07T08:34:08","modified_gmt":"2026-04-07T08:34:08","slug":"heeseung-mark-and-now-ncts-ten-whats-driving-the-recent-wave-of-k-pop-idol-departures","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/379239\/","title":{"rendered":"Heeseung, Mark and now NCT\u2019s Ten: What\u2019s driving the recent wave of K-pop idol departures?"},"content":{"rendered":"

SEOUL \u2013 A recent wave of departures by popular idols \u2013 from Heeseung of Enhypen<\/a> to Mark and Ten of NCT \u2013 has surprised fans, with multiple members leaving their groups within a month.<\/p>\n

Industry insiders, however, say such moves are not unusual, particularly among idols in later stages of their careers. They point to a combination of artistic ambition, contract cycles and the growing financial independence enabled by social media.<\/p>\n

South Korean singer Heeseung, 24, announced on March 10 that he would leave Enhypen and transition to a solo career<\/a> through Belift Lab. The agency said the decision followed \u201cdeep discussions\u201d about the group\u2019s direction and each member\u2019s future, adding that it chose to respect Heeseung\u2019s musical aspirations.<\/p>\n

In April, Mark and Ten announced within days of each other that they would not renew their contracts with SM<\/a> Entertainment. <\/p>\n

Canadian star Mark, 26, will conclude all activities with NCT and its sub-units. Meanwhile, Thai idol Ten, 30, is expected to continue participating in group activities with NCT and its sub-unit WayV, under future agreements with a new agency, to be arranged on a case-by-case basis. This is similar to arrangements seen with Taemin of Shinee and D.O. of Exo.<\/p>\n

An executive at a major K-pop agency, who declined to be named, said such decisions often emerge as idols approach a decade in the industry.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are always members who have a clear sense of what they want to pursue musically,\u201d the executive added. \u201cBefore their debut, they prioritise making it into a group and often compromise. But over time \u2013 especially after completing military service \u2013 many begin to seek individual careers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Most K-pop groups operate under the standard seven-year contract recommended by the government. NCT members are believed to have signed longer agreements due to the group\u2019s project-based structure. Mark and Ten debuted as part of NCT U in 2016 and reached a contract renewal point in April. In many cases, renewal periods become key turning points for artistes weighing group versus solo paths.<\/p>\n

The executive added that creative limitations within group activities can drive such decisions.<\/p>\n

\u201cManagement ultimately has to focus on profitability, which often means aligning with what fans want,\u201d the executive said. \u201cBut not every member will be satisfied with that direction. Younger artistes may accept it, but those with over 10 years of experience find it harder to compromise.\u201d<\/p>\n

While Heeseung\u2019s case differs \u2013 Enhypen debuted in 2020 and are relatively early in their career \u2013 his decision still reflects a broader trend. He hinted at an upcoming solo album just weeks after announcing his departure, reinforcing speculation that artistic ambition played a central role.<\/p>\n

Critics also point to structural changes in the entertainment landscape. Music critic Lim Hee-yun said the rise of digital platforms has fundamentally shifted the power dynamic for idols.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe concept of being a celebrity has changed,\u201d he added. \u201cWith platforms like social media, artistes no longer rely solely on agencies. They can communicate directly with fans and generate income through their own channels.\u201d<\/p>\n

He noted that sponsored posts on platforms such as Instagram can generate tens of millions of won each, depending on an idol\u2019s popularity.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor idols, that income comes from their own personal brand,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut if they have to split it with the agency, it can create an incentive to go solo and retain full control over their earnings.\u201d THE KOREA HERALD\/ASIA NEWS NETWORK<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"SEOUL \u2013 A recent wave of departures by popular idols \u2013 from Heeseung of Enhypen to Mark and…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":379240,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[146,85,46,409],"class_list":{"0":"post-379239","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-music","8":"tag-entertainment","9":"tag-il","10":"tag-israel","11":"tag-music"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/379239","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=379239"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/379239\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/379240"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=379239"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=379239"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=379239"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}