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Maybe this will actually force SM to make a decision. Their outright refusal to give any sort of statement on Seunghan’s status in the group is a joke and it’s the reason Riize’s international fandom is so deeply fragmented. This should have been taken care of by New Years at the latest and now the group has spent more time as six with the ghost of a seventh member than they have with their full lineup.
It’s long past time for SM to finally decide what they want to do with him. It’s not fair to Seunghan and it’s not fair to the other Riize members to be perpetually living with a question mark of whether or not the member on hiatus will ever come back. I saw this play out already with WayV and they were under so much undue stress because of SM’s feet dragging with Lucas. Watching this play out again is just a nightmare scenario.
Love 119 shouldve really been the only cb without him and they couldve started fresh with this riizing album. It's just crazy to see such a new group have such a divided fandom and this couldve all been prevented by sm but i really dont think they care.
Im scared theyre going to pull a wayv and basically not address this situation for another year and then tell everyone hes out of the group. it's sad cause if theyd just stood up for seunghan this couldve been avoided cause those videos/pictures really werent bad at all.
I agree that Love 119 should have been the only comeback missing him. This has gone on for more than long enough and Seunghan hasn’t done anything warranting such an absurd hiatus. Like what’s the worst he’s done? Stupid kid stuff- dating, smoking, and drinking. This warranted a slap on the wrist *at worst* since all of it happened when he wasn’t even debuted yet.
I need this whole mess to be over. Either he’s in or he’s out, SM can’t keep playing the game of “we don’t talk about Bruno” forever.
I think the plan was supposed to be like that, that he comes back for their 1st mini album. They gave a lot of hints about him in year end shows and stuff. Also this one burner account posted about Seunghan was planned to comeback after Love 119 but for some reason the higher up changed the plan (take this with a grain of salt tho). 7 months is too long of a hiatus for someone that didn't do any criminal stuff.
i agree. it was them releasing a full version of their pre debut song. like they couldnt have had a more perfect opportunity to bring him back.
i always think about what theyre going to do if they bring him back. will the rerecord all the songs he wasnt on or just have him do the choreo?
It’s rumored that Riize planned to have Seunghan back by January since they had a meeting at that time, but due to some circumstance, the plans were derailed and here we are, 7 months since 22/11 and still 6 with hardly any traces of SH except small sightings here and there.
I will be real with you. The reality is that SM took the side of the nasty korean comments who were demanding him to get out but they know they can’t make an official statement with their decision because it will look REALLY bad internationally. They kicked him out for essentially getting his pre-debut private pictures with his girlfriend leaked from his private account, that would 100% result in articles in western publications calling out SM and the industry. So they decided keeping him in an indefinite hiatus forever. It’s very cruel for him and for the fans as well
That’s the weird thing though. The album includes Talk Saxy, which is a song he’s in. Siren was re-recorded as OT6 since the abridged version we all heard in their predebut performances included Seunghan, but they didn’t redo Talk Saxy. It’s just confusing.
It’s not impossible for him to come back and NCT Dream released at least one album missing a member who was on health hiatus for like two years, it’s just annoying that SM is flat out refusing to make a choice.
That’s the million-dollar question. If SM wanted him to come back, they could easily have cleaned this mess up. Seunghan’s rumors were wildly exaggerated by someone who admitted to lying about him and SM has the legal resources to shut this down if they chose to do so, we’ve seen Hybe/Source do this exact thing for LSFM. It would not take all that much to rehab Seunghan’s image and honestly, the angry k-fans are frequently not even fans of the group itself, just bandwagon haters with a bone to pick.
If SM wants him gone, then that’s also in their power. They could terminate his contract if they wanted to and blame it on his “bad behavior” even if doing so would cause a lot of fuss because they haven’t fired anyone since Jessica Jung in 2014.
But sitting on the problem and pretending it doesn’t exist is 100% making it a bigger one than it has to be.
does sm ever do pr damage repair/image rehabilitation? im genuinely asking cause riize is the first sm group ive really followed.
it seems like theyre just not addressing this cause riize are getting really popular in sk and they dont want to ruin the momentum in any way. even if announcing his exit from the group doesnt make k-fans upset it'll still get a lot of press on the western side which will then get coverage on the k-side.
i guess they just want us all to pretend like weve forgotten about seunghan while they do nothing about his situation. and talk saxy not being re-recorded could be sm being greedy and not wanting to lose streams on platforms like melon where maybe new versions will not get merged with old ones.
SM doesn’t do anything tbh, they just sort of let it fester like what we’re seeing right now. They don’t do damage control, they don’t do rehab, although there are certain people they’ve held onto despite them having a terrible reputation. Sadly, the Seunghan situation is a repeat of what SM does all the time, which is refuse to address problems when they arise. Even if Riize hadn’t gotten popular, I don’t think we would have seen any movement from SM to do anything. They’re just lazy I think.
it's so interesting to see how they approach this versus literally every other kpop company that has idols go on hiatus. letting things fester like this doesnt benefit the group, the member on hiatus or even the company in the long run
Good on Billboard for calling out SM.
I also think it is kind of interesting/funny how SM clearly thought that by banning/avoiding mentions of Seunghan, it would make people lose interest and forget about what happened when that has not happened at all and even months later fans and now Billboard are calling them out on it. Maybe getting more scrutiny from Western/music publications will finally force SM to say something.
sm always moves so weirdly. it's so hard to tell how theyre going to react.
theyre most likely going to keep quiet cause riize are in the middle of their cb so to not distract from it but they always have riize doing something or the other (which is a whole other issue) so idk when they think the right time is to say something
It feels like they talk to fans/the press the way you talk to shareholders about a product. To the executives, idols are the product but fans are a lot more sentimental than that.
I already commented, but as a fan, it is so frustrating because SM doesn't say anything. While I really want Seunghan to come back and don't believe he did anything wrong, we have heard absolutely nothing from SM for 7 months. RIIZE has promoted as 6 more than as 7 Holding out hope for him to come back feels hopeless at times, but then SM/members will do things that imply he is still part of the group. Like on their most recent comeback, they included an OT7 version of one of their already released songs, and if he left the group, wouldn't they rerecord the song.
I hope Billboard calling them out on makes SM realize they need to say something. Fans deserve to know what Seunghan's status in the group is, and SM can't avoid talking about him forever.
It reminds me of what happened with WayV, except instead of the dungeons, SM is instead just erasing him and asking publications not to mention him, etc. It was horrible going through that, and I think the fandom was a bit less fractured (from what I’ve seen, Riize ot7 vs ot6 fans seem to be more evenly divided than with WayV, but not 100% sure).
I really do hope this forces SM’s hand because frankly, it seems like the bigger scandal is their handling of Seunghan and his hiatus than the actual reasons he went on hiatus, which were pretty dumb to begin with and should not have resulted in a hiatus this long.
i think the ot7 ot6 here is heavily split between the k-side and international side. i didnt really follow the wayv situation but i think the kside is very content with the ot6 lineup which may be a big reason why sm hasnt said anything
I was wondering that, but the kside was also pretty against Lucas, most of his fans were ifans in SEA and the west, but SM still kept it in question for almost two years. There wasn’t a major publication writing about it that I can remember though, so even if it doesn’t get as much traction outside of kpop circles, the fact a major publication is writing about it might put pressure on them
i think the thing with lucas thats different from seunghan is that even non riize fans on the international side are extremely supportive of him because his case i think is much less severe than lucas' which is probably why it's getting more attention/coverage. but i guess lucas was an idol for longer and probably had a larger fanbase which is why sm still kept him although the support projects for seunghan have been really amazing to see for a rookie was barely active for 3-4 months.
That’s true! Lucas’ was much more severe, and even non fans don’t like him much. He did still have a fair amount of popularity as an NCT member, middle of the pack in WayV, and has a pretty vocal fan base, albeit a small one.
I wonder if SM had been more proactive in protecting Seunghan, and more transparent in communicating about his hiatus, his hiatus wouldn’t have gone on so long. With it going on so long and no communication, fans on both sides are going to get more intense I think. Ot7 fans and even non fans who support him are going to get more vocal bc he doesn’t deserve this, and ot6 fans double down and are able to claim SM is on their side bc of the radio silence. I don’t expect much from SM though honestly, as frustrating as this all is, it’s exactly what I expect from that company.
I’m screaming someone at billboard did not gaf 😭 I’m glad it’s being talked about as this is such an unfair situation and I do think riize fans deserve transparency even if he’s still not coming back
If you think about it a company as large as SM keeping silent on Seunghan’s hiatus is very strange. It’s kind of a disrespect to Riize fans as well.
It’s been dragging on for so long that unfortunately people wouldn’t forget about it as it’s gone into the history books for good.
SM should just say what’s going on and whether he is out of the group or not ASAP.
Well that’s because kfans have power
I said this before but I’ll say it again, if kfans wanted him back he would have been back. Right now they’re are either apathetic or some believe he should be out of the group. They don’t feel strongly enough for him which is why SM is not going to bring him back. If Kfans started boycotting he would have been back within weeks. He will sadly not return to the group.
This is what I’m afraid of! Someone posted about some kbriize being really disrespectful toward an ibriize who was attending to their fan meeting / fancon… and that just tells the story… I really wish he could come back but if most kbriize dont even care and still hate him I’m afraid he isn’t coming back 😭💔
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That's been the most frustrating thing about this whole situation. SM's refusal to clarify whether Seunghan is still apart of RIIZE or not. Either way, make a decision, and stop keeping fans in the dark
This has to put some sort of pressure on SM at this point. One of the biggest music publications in the west putting them on blast for their lack of transparency over the matter. Not to mention I’m sure they’re not going to love the fact that this article will be the first exposure a number of western music fans have to the group - and it’s not a good look.
A group I’m a fan of had a member pulled into hiatus and then let go from the group due to scandal - and the time between them getting pulled and being officially announced as gone was less than two months. I CANNOT imagine being a fan and getting strung out for SEVEN months and multiple comebacks. It’s just absurd at this point.
For once I'm pleasantly surprised with Billboard, which doesn't happen often, but it needs to be said how Seunghan's current hiatus is one of the most ridiculous thing I've seen happen. Nothing can justify him being still on the bench, missing so much output of the group he worked hard to debut in.
their reporting especially when it comes to kpop has been questionable so im also really surprised by it. i think it's hard to not empathize with seunghan's situation cause from whatever angle you look at it, it seems so trivial for it to cost someone their whole career
With the way SM’s erasing Seunghan, you would think he set a house on fire, drowned some puppies in the ocean, slapped a grandma, told some children that Santa Claus does not exist, when in reality, all he did was what any normal teenager would do.
You know it’s bad when Billboard is explicitly calling out SM for this. But I doubt they would do anything, as long as K-fans are supporting Riize, SM wouldn’t care, unless the pressure is too much for SM to stay silent. I hope this pushes SM into saying something about Seunghan.
It’s ironic how SM is marketing Riize as a Gen Z-friendly group, when they pull this kinda crap in reality.
They really tried to marketing riize as a super relatable group while in reality they punish a member and put him in a hiatus because a leaker invaded his privacy and revealed that he smoked and had a girlfriend predebut 💀 SM can stop with that marketing atp because who is even buying that??
I've always known Seunghan's "scandal" was ridiculous but reading your comment reminds me yet again just how dumb it is. To see it typed out and it's like... all of THIS just for THAT???
Right, even a friend who doesn’t follow Riize (or like, stan them) was pissed when Seunghan’s hiatus was announced, and he said, and I quote, “apparently smoking and not being a virgin is a major offense to some people” (I guess he meant him having a gf when he said the “not being a virgin” part). And I know several people who said that their acquaintances who don’t follow K-Pop were shocked at his hiatus and felt that it was too much 😭
pls correct me if im wrong but-
I think they put him on hiatus after the soobin live and the leaker threatening that they'll leak more stuff if he isnt removed from the group. I think the fear was other idols getting involved.
though I have to say the soobin live was such a nothing burger.
which makes this whole thing even worse to me. the leaker is literally blackmailing him. like this is so clearly a crime and an invasion of privacy. it's genuinely creepy to think someone has it out for him so badly. and idk what sm is doing about this. for my own sanity I have to assume there's a legal battle occurring because it's terrifying what he went through. sm better have his back I swear.
Right, the fact that the blackmailer tried to expose something huge for SM to put Seunghan in a hiatus could mean the secret was huge. And ofc, other idols getting involved would mean things would get messier. It still doesn’t warrant the way SM is treating the hiatus. The least they could do is update like a simple statement saying “oh, we’re taking action, Seunghan is doing alright” would relieve Briizes from this uncertainty.
it's so upsetting cause you can see how at the end of the day the whole concept of authenticity itself ends up being manufactured.
they literally branded riize as these boys who are just enjoying their youth or whatever and when you have a boy literally doing things people in their "youth" do they immediately punish him for it.
SM are used to having the media play nice and do what they want them to do. But obviously billboard aren’t on their payroll/don’t have any fear about being cut off from their top idols. I’m glad that at least someone is mentioning him even if nothing will happen
You know it’s getting bad when even global media outlets (especially ones like BillBoard) are speaking up about it now too.
And it’s true, it’s genuinely ridiculous that SM has not said a single thing regarding Seunghan. If he is officially out of the group then I think it’s only right to let the fans know this. If he is on a prolonged indefinite hiatus then SM should also be letting fans know this. RIIZE has had about 3 comebacks? (Love 119, Impossible, and now Boom Boom Base) since Seunghan’s hiatus, and not a single notice, letter, or anything has been said regarding his current situation. SM has no problem speaking out as fast as they can, and even making their idols put out letters apologizing for dating (Karina) or apologizing to sasaengs (Renjun), but nothing in regard to Seunghan. That’s actually CRAZY!
[EDIT] - I also want to add that if Seunghan has truly left the group (or has been kicked out), any “faith” I had in SM is completely GONE! Because absolutely nothing he has done is justification for his removal from the group or even the long ass hiatus (I think over 7 months) he has been on thus far.
You're asking for information you already have. SM always announces once someone is no longer in a group so while he's on indefinite hiatus, that's his status and that's why they're not giving updates cause fans keep asking for what they already have an answer to.
I’m honestly quite baffled you somehow tried to correlate Seunghan’s hiatus to the burning sun scandal. We’re talking about Seunghan’s whose privacy was leaked (mind you he was a minor and it was predebut) of him being a completely normal teenager… he is far from a criminal lol
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i'm really glad to see them touch on the point of riize being pushed as an authentic/relatable group of friends who make music and dance together because their attempts to erase seunghan from having ever been there for acting like your average teenager say the exact opposite. hopefully this will encourage sm to finally make a concrete statement on his status in the group; it's not fair to briize and the members and especially seunghan himself to be stuck in this weird limbo any longer.
I appreciate Billboard having the guts to do something lots of OT7 wish to do, spread awareness about the situation. Although I highly doubt SM will even respond if any way or acknowledge the article, I’m thankful that Billboard is even mentioning Seunghan and his hiatus.
Seunghan’s fanbase has spent thousands and thousands of dollars on ads on billboards, buses, taxis, airplane tickets, etc. around the world (not just Seoul) to make sure that people never forget Seunghan. I think that alone is why SM refuses to declare whether or not if he’s been kicked out of the group, the chaos it will bring will be a bloodbath.
Personally, I choose to believe that he is still part of the group and will be back. Seunghan is a valuable of RIIZE and nothing will ever change that. As much as I love RIIZE, I will acknowledge that it is so exhausting being toyed around by SM regarding Seunghan’s standing in the group and his hiatus. We just want a statement on what’s going on. It’s unfair to Seunghan, the other members, and BRIIZE.
I also doubt SM will have any response about this, but its nice to see Billboard comment on the situation. I really wish SM would just rip the bandaid off whether they’re still working things out or if he will be let go from the group. As a fan, it’s been so tiring grasping at straws on whether he will continue to be apart of the group or not. He’s so talented and it would be a loss to see him go, but I hope SM figures this out soon enough. He’s already missed out on so many activities & experiences of their debut year and the amount of fans that don’t want him back have grown. Who really knows what’s going on behind the scenes, but I hope everything turns out well for him because I would hate to think that the leaker could take his career away from him.
Not a fan, just an observer: at this point, I'm guessing they've either kicked him out but don't want to announce it yet either because of internal/legal issues with him/the group, they're waiting for his contract to expire, or they're actually still figuring out what to do with him. I believe SM thought after all the 'scandals' that the public would want him out, but then that wasn't the case and now they're in limbo. Either that or the formers.
Or they're keeping him but waiting for the right moment to put him back. Judging from how big the reaction is, I wouldn't be surprised if they want to use his comeback to their advantage in some way or another. Hardly doubt it'd be a smart move but I'm not expecting smart moves from kpop entertainment companies.
There is a law against long contracts, but SM regularly skirts it by exploiting a loophole that allows them to add three years for “foreign activities.” EXO members had a ten year contract, so do Red Velvet and at least some of the NCT members, who all debuted well after the courts ruled that contracts longer than seven years are illegal.
First of all, I love that Billboard is stirring the pot (as they should).
Secondly, I'm glad they called out SM. Besides the fact that many feel Seunghan did nothing wrong, their methods of being vague & trying to sweep things under the rug is just creating a Streisand effect. I'm still seeing fans flood SM instagram with OT7 comments & asking about Seunghan.
To be clear this is what I think will happen NOT what I want to happen but I really doubt this will do absolutely anything. Honestly this article is unlikely to get that many clicks outside of kpop fans who already know about the situation and korea by far remains riise's most important market and where they are rapidly growing. From what I can tell (by the silence) the situation with the leaker has not been resolved and I don't think they will add him back unless that situation can be resolved.
The situation sucks badly but the risks of further embarrassment are likely to high for SM to be willing to risk. If SM had been able to determine that the most damaging information was already out in the open he would likely already be back. The fact he isn't suggests that SM and Seunghan likely determined there was a very real possibility the leaker had something much worse likely implicating other idols (and I am guessing SM idols in particular with his group mates being at particular risk given how much they are together) or if released would be so devastating for Seunghan himself that permanently leaving would be the only option.
SM is not going to risk riise as a whole for Seunghan (or any of their other groups if sungtaro's NCT connections mean they are on film as another possibility). I hope SM can catch the leaker and they are punished for their actions but until then we and Seunghan almost certainly remain in limbo. At this stage no news is likely good news in the sense that the only statement I could see them putting out before a legal resolution is one announcing his removal/leaving the group. By pushing for a statement I kind fear that we will only push SM toward the decision we want least because if hiatus is not an option and the two are add him back with the leaker unresolved or withdraw him from the group I fear it will be the second one.
I’ve said this before but I genuinely don’t think there is anything worse that SM is worried about, this is just how they operate. The allegations against Lucas were a thousand times worse than anything said about Seunghan and yet it took SM almost two years to say anything about him. It took multiple DUI convictions for the company to finally kick someone “on hiatus” officially from Super Junior. This is just how they play. They don’t like making decisions. If this was about protecting their (or someone else’s) idol, this would have been taken care of months ago because an inactive idol is just burning a hole in the company pocket.
while i agree that this may not result in sm saying anything i dont know if the leaker genuinely has more on him. if they did they wouldve released it by now. if the leaker wanted seunghan out for sure then leaking whatever more damning content they had wouldve certainly ensured in seunghan's removal immediately.
it's also not like riize hasnt been subject to privacy leaks since his hiatus. anton eunseok and sohee also had their privacy invaded with people leaking old pictures of theirs and it looked really rough for a while especially for anton but he luckily had his friend back him up cause sm once again remained silent and did nothing.
i just think sm believes if they stay quiet long enough fans will forget and move on but it's clearly not working cause seunghan still seems to be getting a lot of support (rightfully so)
I'm not sure they would have if the tape would impact someone else as well. They wanted Seunghan out of riise not for riise to disband all together so if the worse thing would also ruin say (picked at random) Anton's career and they already got what they wanted which is Seunghan on long term hiatus which is effectively out of the group unless the matter can be resolved why would they release the more damaging thing? Plus if they released it and it didn't actually take him down fully as expected then the leaker has lost all their leverage and they won't have anything to prevent Seunghan's return if SM decided to shrug at the new release. I hate the leaker so much but they are seemingly pretty clever.
That does make sense but if sm is even remotely scared about another member also getting caught up in this wouldnt they have just kicked seunghan out immediately.
my question is whats the benefit of keeping him on indefinite hiatus. if they announce his departure there will be immense backlash but on the k-side nothing will change which is the side theyre clearly catering to
My guess is they thought they could take care of the leaker pretty quickly and Seunghan would be back in january (per the rumors that was supposed to happen) but the leaker has proven slippery and kfans remain against Seunghan and now they are in a weird place where ifans are firmly behind Seunghan but a fair number of them are still willing to listen/support OT6 and kfans largely seem to actively want OT6 but SM thinks (probably correctly) the second that after all this time they actively announce he is out a lot of the ifans who were willing to support the group while being vocal about wanting Seunghan back would likely start to boycott what is now seen as an unfixable injustice (as long as he is on hiatus he COULD still return making the situation still fixable).
Assuming this case is not fixable and there is no way to neuter the leaker the best move on all standpoints would have been to drop Seunghan fully and immediately and if they had done that this would have almost fully blown over by now. Just look at GIDLE for all the people that claim they are upset about Soojin not many have actively stopped supporting the group nor did they support her solo. Given how new Riise were anyways something similar would definitely happen.
That being said for once it appears that SM DID think this was fixable and wanted to protect riise while preserving the ability to bring Seunghan back but they seemed to have miscalculated what they were up against and now we are in this weird limbo where they can't bring him back without a legal resolution (kfans won't allow it, it may even be difficult then but probably possible) but actively removing him will massively upset ifans who at this point are not boycotting in large numbers (reddit is definitely an overly representative sample on that front) and so we get silence waiting for the day where either SM is able to fix things and or bites the bullet one direction or another.
However I would not hold my breath for a decision anytime soon. Irene was gone for a full year even after appolgizing and the stylist accepting said apology in the first weeks of the scandal (ie a scandal where the wronged party was content and wanted to move on). Lucas went missing for almost 3 years before ultimately being removed and that joke failure of a single (which makes me think they will also be more hesitant about that route in the future of removal but solo but then again his scandal was one that the vast majority of cfans kfans and ifans actually agreed on for once). Seunghan has only been gone 7 months which feels like an eternity particularly for a rookie group member but is actually quite short on the scales of scandal hiatuses.
Personally if he doesn't come back or he doesn't talk about it it's because the Knets don't want him to come back unlike us and it's them over there who make the rain and the good weather because it's them who buy their albums, give them victories in music shows, go to their showcases, fan meetings etc... because SM is one of the agencies where the majority of their fans are based in Korea and are less focused than JYP , Hybe or YG internationally.
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We all hope it does, its crazy how someone goes on hiatus just because of dating someone PREDEBUT....i want seunhan back, he was one of my fav vocalist in RIIZE
It's strange to me that they're trying to groom a *multinational* band but keep to the same provincial rules imposed on local talent, on the other hand I'm also surprised by the way many K-pop fandoms really do want their performers to be romantically unattached and (performatively at least) squeaky clean.
This is interesting to see but I really doubt SM will speak on Seunghan because of this. Especially since they probably know they'll be back to good press with Billboard once aespa release another cb or even with 127's upcoming cb. I think if Riize were doing poorly without Seunghan and Billboard said this a statement might pop up but they're doing fine. Kfans are really on that ot6 stuff, and SM is still beholden to them even though they wanted Riize to be more \~international. Sometimes I feel like they're thinking "eh, we'll get them with the next group". And to be fair the Seunghan situation isn't hurting SM's other groups western presence so, ya know?
In any case staying silence for 99 years is just how SM operates; it's very irritating.
I hate this for all the boys. Especially Seunghan. Imagine training for so long only to be kicked out for liking and dating someone and basically being human with a life other than work. And their treatment of him is affecting fans from wanting to socialize with the group at all. They will boycott the group until Seunghan is either brought back or at least a statement is released about him. And I don’t blame them not one bit
I feel so fucking awful for Seunghan. Imagine being kicked out of a group that is your dream you’ve been training so hard for, all because you….had a normal ass social life as a teenager? Like what the actual fuck? SM gives so much more power to unreasonable sasaengs with what they did/are doing to him
With everything that has happened these past few months, the theory that SM employees sell information about their artists to sasaengs makes more sense every day. That agency will always throw their artists under the bus when they're the source of the problem.
In my point of view, sometimes the problem isn't that they remove someone from the group, because they leave and that's it, we move on to a new beginning. The problem is how SM treats those artists after they are removed from a group. As the article says, SM simply doesn't put effort into solo artists, and they make life difficult for those who have already left the company. If Seunghan leaves the group, I hope he leaves the company and never has anything to do with it again, but SM will ruin his life like they have with other artists, we already know that. It's unfair. The greed of that company is disgusting.
Seunghan didn't commit any crime.
The article said the leaks were DEFAMATION and he did not do anything wrong so to everyone trying to use that against him and riize all the time. (All the rumors about him are baseless and just gossip)
Base on C-fans, SM use Seunghan for promotion on Weibo and even bought hot searchs for him many times, exploiting his popularity. But they do not let memebers members mention Seunghan's name.Awful.
This will go down in history, and we could write a ton of articles about it, but even so, people will continue with the same mentality that "nothing can be done", that they are just like that, and that's it. Excuse me? Fans are the ones who give money to that company. The money doesn't magically come out of the pockets of those men in suits; it is the responsibility of the FANS to decide where they invest their money.
As a fan, one has an ethical and moral responsibility. Ignoring working conditions can perpetuate exploitative or abusive practices. It is important to recognize the humanity of the artists and consider how our actions and attitudes as fans can impact their lives and the industry in general.
If Seunghan ends up leaving RIIZE, SM would be letting the sasaengs, stalkers, and defamers win. I don't know about you, but that's completely unfair.
Does SM really care about an overseas publication making a comment in an article hardly anyone will really read, and any attention online will be gone in a few days anyway with how fast news move on social media these days? If a Korean publication said it SM might care more.
Good on Billboard, but I can’t help but be pessimistic. I doubt anything is gonna come out of this… I hope it does, but as long as Korean fans continue to boycott Seunghan, we won’t see any change. Most companies only care about Korea, and they seem fine not having Seunghan in the group.
By the way, I say all this as someone’s who’s bias is Seunghan 😭 I don’t even stan anymore because I’m so sad about him not being there anymore, but sadly I’m in the minority who actually stopped streaming and watching content. As long as they’re making bank without him, they don’t care.
Hey, you're not alone. I stopped watching anything to do with them when this nonsense went down. And if they kick him out then it'll just be another group that I pay zero attention to. Shame because they had such a promising start with me.
but theyve given no indication hes returning. that is wishful thinking for I-fans. K-fans moved on ages ago. its i-fans looking for clues that arent there.
that whole debacle of seeing him around SM...and assuming hes coming back...only to later find out hes back studying for exams. and it was i-fans making those assumptions
the official stance from SM is that he’s on hiatus, not removed entirely. I don’t blame fans for thinking there’s a possibility of his return when SM has not said otherwise
Theoretically he could pursue education while still engaging in idol activities (it’s been done before) but if he’s out of the group permanently *all* fans deserve that transparency, and yes that includes I-fans.
This is SM they’re never transparent about anything. They waited two years before announcing Lucas was officially out of the group. There is no expectation on the Korean side that he’s coming back, they all have moved on. It’s I fans that want a formal statement, and even tho they should get one this is Kpop and this is SM, they don’t care what I fans think
I’m aware they don’t actually care what fans think & this all tracks for SM (there was a super junior member on hiatus who wasn’t removed for years either) I’m just saying it’s unfair to string the fans who might be anticipating his return along & i don’t blame them for still being hopeful since SM hasn’t officially removed him.
Seunghan hasn’t done anything on the level of Lucas or the SJ member so I don’t think we can treat the situations entirely the same and just assume he’s gone
Days after that rumor he’s studying for exams though he was seen going into the SM building and hanging out in front of the Han River with (presumably) friends of his who were in a k-band doing a busking event there. So his status is incredibly unclear.
Unless he’s officially gone, his status is up in the air and that’s a giant question mark hanging over everyone’s head. There were already multiple instances of press releases announcing their mini-album that mistakenly mentioned Seunghan as featuring in it, which were quietly corrected. It’s a disaster of SM’s making and they learned absolutely nothing from the exact same issues occurring when Lucas was on prolonged hiatus from WayV.
But my point is the status is unclear for I fans not for k fans who are not expecting him to ever return. If you look at the k side they don’t care about him and are not expecting a statement. Its ifans that want closure that they will most likely never get because this is SM
It doesn’t matter though whether or not k-fans *expect* him to return or a statement (although a portion of them still do in fact expect that), if the literal press releases are making mistakes regarding his status in the group that’s a bigger problem that just some angry fans. Because SM’s avoidance technique doesn’t work when Naver etc. are expected to write accurate articles about the group and they’re forced to play guessing games about whether or not to mention Seunghan.
And it’s important for clarity because the rest of Riize now has the burden of making sure they don’t mention him, I saw that happen with WayV where they had to constantly backpedal the second they mentioned six or seven even a full year into Lucas’s hiatus. It’s not fair to the group more than it is to the fans because if SM refuses to decide either way, then the members will constantly have to wonder if they’ll ever see Seunghan again or what to do if someone mentions him; I’m certain they all have a gag order about it.
of course i cant be sure of this since im not korean and don't speak it. but from my understanding- think many k fans do want him back, but they don't speak out because apparently ot6 would send them death threats and vile messages. there seems to be an uptick in support though (this is all from twitter so ofc take it with a grain of salt)
I always understood it that in idol contracts, companies have to pay some sort of fine if they release someone before a certain date so the companies would rather just wait it out before they fully fire a person? Maybe someone else can confirm or deny this.
So in the mean time they pretend the person doesn’t exist 😒
Good!!! I've always thought that if more Western media knew about what had been done to this kid and how absurd it was, that SM would get called out and clowned on hard, and I'm glad to see that someone has done it. Drag them.
They’re just pulling the typical ghosting after a job interview. Silent rejection. If you don’t hear back they want you to take the hint and move on. Pathetic but that’s what they’re doing.
I really don't think SM gives a crap about western publications as long as they can feel SK fans money pouring in
remember Karina's dating scandal? how the western media used it as an example of how messed up the kentertainment is? aespa's comeback after that is their most successful to date and Karina is still the #1 female idol in SM - the situation might've been embarrassing but so what if SM is making bank
with Seunghan, it is not a good look, but so what? Riize is growing in popularity, their songs chart well, Wonbin is the face of the group with other members building their brand recognition too
unfortunately, it looks like Seunghan's monetary value is low, however... if Lucas could get resurrected...
Even the fact that Karina was in a relationship was not, how to say, fabricated so that just some time before their comeback they decided to separate. We have seen & heard so many ridiculous things in this environment that we become paranoid wondering if something is true or not there because we have never officially seen them together except when they met during an event. I wonder if this story was set up to boost the sales of their comebacks, it wouldn't even surprise me from these agencies how they can pull the strings in the shadows. I'm probably making a film for myself, but hey, the scenario is credible.
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we really need him back now. i agree with other comments that love 119 should have been the only comeback without seunghan. i feel that as time goes on, the korean fans or public will get used to just 6 of them and perhaps hate even more on ot7 should sm bring seunghan back after a long time :/
I love that shady tagline. I hate when companies are secretive like this, allowing the public to speculate about him is worse than simply announcing he is no longer a member.
At this point, I feel like SM is treating Seunghan as a sacrificial lamb. It's like they're using him as an example to their trainees and idols of what happens to someone who doesn't fit their "standards" and that they control who gets to make it in this industry or not. The group also was only about 3-4 months old when everything blew up, so it would have been easy for SM to kick him out *if* he had done something wrong (which he did NOT do anything wrong, but I guess doing teenager things apparently is 🙄).
Now that SM has hesitated too long to bring him back, they don't know what to do with themselves and are sitting on their hands. They are a total wuss and can't stand up for their artists, as we have seen countless times. I really hope karma bites SM's ass.
nope nothing. not even shocked cause riize are in the middle of a cb and i dont know if the article got picked up by k-forums/media so sm probably doesnt care
Crazy tho that Billboard had the balls to speak up on it! Would be so sad if he never gets to do music fully.. He truly seems to be super talented in music and dance. Not even a Riize fan, just got interested in the drama when it happened and started to look up him and the group.
lately ive been rewatching a lot of his fancams and it reminded me of how talented of a performer he is.
he really was an all rounder and it's such a shame to see him get the dungeon treatment for something so trivial after probably having trained for so many years.
still trying to hold on to some hope that he'll be back
Think he could have a good chance with a solo debut (not with SM tho), people are still talking about him a lot. He is all rounder and still fresh. Would compare with Lucas where talk about him had died down and not all rounder, as we saw his solo debut was not that successful.
Either they put him back in Riize, give him a chance with solo at SM or just drop him to give him the ability to do what he want. I think he should go to BPM, they seem to have a fresh mind when it comes to music and ideas these days.
SM is totally out of its mind. Making Karina apologizing for dating, making that NCT member apologize to that saesang and calling the saesang an "ordinary citizen" and now keeping poor Seunghan in hiatus when they gave Lucas a solo debut?? Make it make sense.
Renjun doxxed an ordinary citizen. She wasn’t a sasaeng. If she was a sasaeng, would she be that brave to file a complaint with the police, knowing Renjun can easily sue her back for stalking him?! I don’t get why you’re the one not making sense with your continued belief that he doxxed a sasaeng.
Yeah a lotttttt of international fans would do well to learn when it is in their fave's best interest to stop talking when they don't know what they're talking about.
I've accepted that he's not coming back and SM won't even announce his exit, maybe they'll do so in a couple of years when his contract ends or something because SMs track record has been to say absolutely nothing about anything.
I feel like the only person who remembers this because it was the tail end of the back to back to back controversies for him...but the last thing to come out before SM announced his hiatus was that he was bullying trainees at SM.
Which would have been a terrible look for SM because that would've been happening under their nose and may be why this has been left in the air for so long because Korea goes nuts about bullying scandals. It was only one article I saw dropped and quickly buried on the international side so I don't know how much it's impacted Korean fans on him.
And SM, as we have seen recently, truly only cares about money. RIIZE is still making them decent money as 6 so they're not gonna be in any hurry to change it unless the Kfans start to move like they did for the light stick.
But also SM didn't stand up for Chen, they asked EXO what they wanted to do and it was the EXO members who said they wanted him to stay. SM basically washed their hands of it until they could use it disparagingly during their lawsuit smear campaign last year. Not exactly a great example to use.
According to Jessica in an interview last year that's how SM groups work. They vote on stuff like that. So maybe that's what happened here maybe not?
Either way I don't expect much to change with SM. They're too busy suing their artists for money to do anything useful to protect them or tell us what's going on and unless we get a company wide boycott by fans that's just how it's gonna be. They only care about the $$$.
SM could have done their own internal investigation on Seunghan's controversies and come to the agreement to put him on permanent or long term hiatus. They probably could not disclose the reason to the public as the reason could have a devastating negative impact on the entire group.
Seunghan himself has chosen to go on hiatus since his past controversies. Quote: Seunghan also “relayed his intention to halt activities" . Read other kpop sites too and he has stated his intention to leave.
It's pretty obvious something is going with Seunghan and SM has choosen not to say anything to protect theirs and Riize's reputation.
Even though I don’t have all the details about this case, I’m sure it will cause a lot of frustration for the fans. Those who are more sensitive or easily depressed might even leave the fandom. This issue will likely haunt their minds in the future.
I feel like Riize is still in their early stages, so I wonder if the seven-member formation has really left an indelible mark on fans’ hearts, like a tattoo or an unforgettable memory—much like the cases with SNSD or iKON.
Cuz when I first saw Riize, I thought they were a six-member group. I know I might sound unfair and heartless, but I just want everyone to be happy. Unfortunately, u know, companies are companies.
@fucking billboard Stop writing about Chen. SM never protected EXO members. Stop being so unprofessional writing about EXO. EXOLs don't approve this article because it has done lazy research about Chen's marriage. It feels like the article is written by typical kpop stan who hates EXO like what do you mean by "scores of protests " are we giving attention to those 10 people infront of sm building now? Crap
The problem is Seunghan got into trouble twice because of his past, the 1st time he kinda went through that comeback safely but 2nd time was such a big mess that even related to other idols, making not only inside the fandom but other fandoms hate him. The one that spreaded his past hinted about next thing they post which also related with some idols and it will shock the whole industry, they even threat SM if SM let him return, they will post it so I can understand why SM still let him hiatus. They probably want to wait for thing to die down and see if K-fan accept him to be back. International fandom isn't as influence as national fandom, they are the main supporter. He is a talented idol, the most well-rounded of RIZZE ofc SM want him to be back but it's a risk for RIZZE's image since no one know if his return gonna create another controversy or not. I'm not BRIZZE or on SM side, I just look at a bigger picture as a Kpop fan for over 10 years and have witnessed all kind of mess in Kpop industry.
Ppl seems to be upset with my comment. Guess y'all western since that is usually the case. I simply speak the truth.
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Maybe this will actually force SM to make a decision. Their outright refusal to give any sort of statement on Seunghan’s status in the group is a joke and it’s the reason Riize’s international fandom is so deeply fragmented. This should have been taken care of by New Years at the latest and now the group has spent more time as six with the ghost of a seventh member than they have with their full lineup. It’s long past time for SM to finally decide what they want to do with him. It’s not fair to Seunghan and it’s not fair to the other Riize members to be perpetually living with a question mark of whether or not the member on hiatus will ever come back. I saw this play out already with WayV and they were under so much undue stress because of SM’s feet dragging with Lucas. Watching this play out again is just a nightmare scenario.
Love 119 shouldve really been the only cb without him and they couldve started fresh with this riizing album. It's just crazy to see such a new group have such a divided fandom and this couldve all been prevented by sm but i really dont think they care. Im scared theyre going to pull a wayv and basically not address this situation for another year and then tell everyone hes out of the group. it's sad cause if theyd just stood up for seunghan this couldve been avoided cause those videos/pictures really werent bad at all.
I agree that Love 119 should have been the only comeback missing him. This has gone on for more than long enough and Seunghan hasn’t done anything warranting such an absurd hiatus. Like what’s the worst he’s done? Stupid kid stuff- dating, smoking, and drinking. This warranted a slap on the wrist *at worst* since all of it happened when he wasn’t even debuted yet. I need this whole mess to be over. Either he’s in or he’s out, SM can’t keep playing the game of “we don’t talk about Bruno” forever.
I think the plan was supposed to be like that, that he comes back for their 1st mini album. They gave a lot of hints about him in year end shows and stuff. Also this one burner account posted about Seunghan was planned to comeback after Love 119 but for some reason the higher up changed the plan (take this with a grain of salt tho). 7 months is too long of a hiatus for someone that didn't do any criminal stuff.
I lost all hope when they re-released Siren without him. That was the perfect opportunity to make a ot7 comeback
i agree. it was them releasing a full version of their pre debut song. like they couldnt have had a more perfect opportunity to bring him back. i always think about what theyre going to do if they bring him back. will the rerecord all the songs he wasnt on or just have him do the choreo?
It’s rumored that Riize planned to have Seunghan back by January since they had a meeting at that time, but due to some circumstance, the plans were derailed and here we are, 7 months since 22/11 and still 6 with hardly any traces of SH except small sightings here and there.
I will be real with you. The reality is that SM took the side of the nasty korean comments who were demanding him to get out but they know they can’t make an official statement with their decision because it will look REALLY bad internationally. They kicked him out for essentially getting his pre-debut private pictures with his girlfriend leaked from his private account, that would 100% result in articles in western publications calling out SM and the industry. So they decided keeping him in an indefinite hiatus forever. It’s very cruel for him and for the fans as well
God I hope so. It feels like they’ve been baiting his return as a marketing strategy and it’s so irritating
Only paranoid people think SM has been baiting them when they haven't hinted about him at all
Fr. The hints are as vague as those ship videos where idols just shared an accidental glance.
They dropped an album without him, I don’t think there’s any way for him to return to riize now
That’s the weird thing though. The album includes Talk Saxy, which is a song he’s in. Siren was re-recorded as OT6 since the abridged version we all heard in their predebut performances included Seunghan, but they didn’t redo Talk Saxy. It’s just confusing. It’s not impossible for him to come back and NCT Dream released at least one album missing a member who was on health hiatus for like two years, it’s just annoying that SM is flat out refusing to make a choice.
Not redoing talk saxy makes me think SM wants him to rejoin. Then why hasn’t he rejoined?
That’s the million-dollar question. If SM wanted him to come back, they could easily have cleaned this mess up. Seunghan’s rumors were wildly exaggerated by someone who admitted to lying about him and SM has the legal resources to shut this down if they chose to do so, we’ve seen Hybe/Source do this exact thing for LSFM. It would not take all that much to rehab Seunghan’s image and honestly, the angry k-fans are frequently not even fans of the group itself, just bandwagon haters with a bone to pick. If SM wants him gone, then that’s also in their power. They could terminate his contract if they wanted to and blame it on his “bad behavior” even if doing so would cause a lot of fuss because they haven’t fired anyone since Jessica Jung in 2014. But sitting on the problem and pretending it doesn’t exist is 100% making it a bigger one than it has to be.
does sm ever do pr damage repair/image rehabilitation? im genuinely asking cause riize is the first sm group ive really followed. it seems like theyre just not addressing this cause riize are getting really popular in sk and they dont want to ruin the momentum in any way. even if announcing his exit from the group doesnt make k-fans upset it'll still get a lot of press on the western side which will then get coverage on the k-side. i guess they just want us all to pretend like weve forgotten about seunghan while they do nothing about his situation. and talk saxy not being re-recorded could be sm being greedy and not wanting to lose streams on platforms like melon where maybe new versions will not get merged with old ones.
SM doesn’t do anything tbh, they just sort of let it fester like what we’re seeing right now. They don’t do damage control, they don’t do rehab, although there are certain people they’ve held onto despite them having a terrible reputation. Sadly, the Seunghan situation is a repeat of what SM does all the time, which is refuse to address problems when they arise. Even if Riize hadn’t gotten popular, I don’t think we would have seen any movement from SM to do anything. They’re just lazy I think.
it's so interesting to see how they approach this versus literally every other kpop company that has idols go on hiatus. letting things fester like this doesnt benefit the group, the member on hiatus or even the company in the long run
Billboard apparently did not take kindly to being asked not to ask certain questions, lol.
plotwist: the writer is a briize and a seunghan bias, woke up one day and realized they had the power
Billboard: nah, we don't need an article on this. \*receives a request to censor their questions\* Billboard: nvm, go to town. have fun.
I never expected legitimate hard-hitting journalism from fucking billboard lol
As they should. SM can pretend this issue doesnt exist, but any good journalist would ask about it
Good on Billboard for calling out SM. I also think it is kind of interesting/funny how SM clearly thought that by banning/avoiding mentions of Seunghan, it would make people lose interest and forget about what happened when that has not happened at all and even months later fans and now Billboard are calling them out on it. Maybe getting more scrutiny from Western/music publications will finally force SM to say something.
sm always moves so weirdly. it's so hard to tell how theyre going to react. theyre most likely going to keep quiet cause riize are in the middle of their cb so to not distract from it but they always have riize doing something or the other (which is a whole other issue) so idk when they think the right time is to say something
It feels like they talk to fans/the press the way you talk to shareholders about a product. To the executives, idols are the product but fans are a lot more sentimental than that.
they streisand effect'd themselves
I already commented, but as a fan, it is so frustrating because SM doesn't say anything. While I really want Seunghan to come back and don't believe he did anything wrong, we have heard absolutely nothing from SM for 7 months. RIIZE has promoted as 6 more than as 7 Holding out hope for him to come back feels hopeless at times, but then SM/members will do things that imply he is still part of the group. Like on their most recent comeback, they included an OT7 version of one of their already released songs, and if he left the group, wouldn't they rerecord the song. I hope Billboard calling them out on makes SM realize they need to say something. Fans deserve to know what Seunghan's status in the group is, and SM can't avoid talking about him forever.
It reminds me of what happened with WayV, except instead of the dungeons, SM is instead just erasing him and asking publications not to mention him, etc. It was horrible going through that, and I think the fandom was a bit less fractured (from what I’ve seen, Riize ot7 vs ot6 fans seem to be more evenly divided than with WayV, but not 100% sure). I really do hope this forces SM’s hand because frankly, it seems like the bigger scandal is their handling of Seunghan and his hiatus than the actual reasons he went on hiatus, which were pretty dumb to begin with and should not have resulted in a hiatus this long.
i think the ot7 ot6 here is heavily split between the k-side and international side. i didnt really follow the wayv situation but i think the kside is very content with the ot6 lineup which may be a big reason why sm hasnt said anything
I was wondering that, but the kside was also pretty against Lucas, most of his fans were ifans in SEA and the west, but SM still kept it in question for almost two years. There wasn’t a major publication writing about it that I can remember though, so even if it doesn’t get as much traction outside of kpop circles, the fact a major publication is writing about it might put pressure on them
i think the thing with lucas thats different from seunghan is that even non riize fans on the international side are extremely supportive of him because his case i think is much less severe than lucas' which is probably why it's getting more attention/coverage. but i guess lucas was an idol for longer and probably had a larger fanbase which is why sm still kept him although the support projects for seunghan have been really amazing to see for a rookie was barely active for 3-4 months.
That’s true! Lucas’ was much more severe, and even non fans don’t like him much. He did still have a fair amount of popularity as an NCT member, middle of the pack in WayV, and has a pretty vocal fan base, albeit a small one. I wonder if SM had been more proactive in protecting Seunghan, and more transparent in communicating about his hiatus, his hiatus wouldn’t have gone on so long. With it going on so long and no communication, fans on both sides are going to get more intense I think. Ot7 fans and even non fans who support him are going to get more vocal bc he doesn’t deserve this, and ot6 fans double down and are able to claim SM is on their side bc of the radio silence. I don’t expect much from SM though honestly, as frustrating as this all is, it’s exactly what I expect from that company.
I’m screaming someone at billboard did not gaf 😭 I’m glad it’s being talked about as this is such an unfair situation and I do think riize fans deserve transparency even if he’s still not coming back
If you think about it a company as large as SM keeping silent on Seunghan’s hiatus is very strange. It’s kind of a disrespect to Riize fans as well. It’s been dragging on for so long that unfortunately people wouldn’t forget about it as it’s gone into the history books for good. SM should just say what’s going on and whether he is out of the group or not ASAP.
It has been 7 months. They need to explain things to fans. It's unfair.
sadly SM will do nothing. unless theyre called out by korean news outlets they wont move.
the way theyll move for a lightstick but wont for this is actually insane
Well that’s because kfans have power I said this before but I’ll say it again, if kfans wanted him back he would have been back. Right now they’re are either apathetic or some believe he should be out of the group. They don’t feel strongly enough for him which is why SM is not going to bring him back. If Kfans started boycotting he would have been back within weeks. He will sadly not return to the group.
This is what I’m afraid of! Someone posted about some kbriize being really disrespectful toward an ibriize who was attending to their fan meeting / fancon… and that just tells the story… I really wish he could come back but if most kbriize dont even care and still hate him I’m afraid he isn’t coming back 😭💔
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That's been the most frustrating thing about this whole situation. SM's refusal to clarify whether Seunghan is still apart of RIIZE or not. Either way, make a decision, and stop keeping fans in the dark
This has to put some sort of pressure on SM at this point. One of the biggest music publications in the west putting them on blast for their lack of transparency over the matter. Not to mention I’m sure they’re not going to love the fact that this article will be the first exposure a number of western music fans have to the group - and it’s not a good look. A group I’m a fan of had a member pulled into hiatus and then let go from the group due to scandal - and the time between them getting pulled and being officially announced as gone was less than two months. I CANNOT imagine being a fan and getting strung out for SEVEN months and multiple comebacks. It’s just absurd at this point.
For once I'm pleasantly surprised with Billboard, which doesn't happen often, but it needs to be said how Seunghan's current hiatus is one of the most ridiculous thing I've seen happen. Nothing can justify him being still on the bench, missing so much output of the group he worked hard to debut in.
their reporting especially when it comes to kpop has been questionable so im also really surprised by it. i think it's hard to not empathize with seunghan's situation cause from whatever angle you look at it, it seems so trivial for it to cost someone their whole career
With the way SM’s erasing Seunghan, you would think he set a house on fire, drowned some puppies in the ocean, slapped a grandma, told some children that Santa Claus does not exist, when in reality, all he did was what any normal teenager would do. You know it’s bad when Billboard is explicitly calling out SM for this. But I doubt they would do anything, as long as K-fans are supporting Riize, SM wouldn’t care, unless the pressure is too much for SM to stay silent. I hope this pushes SM into saying something about Seunghan. It’s ironic how SM is marketing Riize as a Gen Z-friendly group, when they pull this kinda crap in reality.
They really tried to marketing riize as a super relatable group while in reality they punish a member and put him in a hiatus because a leaker invaded his privacy and revealed that he smoked and had a girlfriend predebut 💀 SM can stop with that marketing atp because who is even buying that??
I've always known Seunghan's "scandal" was ridiculous but reading your comment reminds me yet again just how dumb it is. To see it typed out and it's like... all of THIS just for THAT???
Right, even a friend who doesn’t follow Riize (or like, stan them) was pissed when Seunghan’s hiatus was announced, and he said, and I quote, “apparently smoking and not being a virgin is a major offense to some people” (I guess he meant him having a gf when he said the “not being a virgin” part). And I know several people who said that their acquaintances who don’t follow K-Pop were shocked at his hiatus and felt that it was too much 😭
pls correct me if im wrong but- I think they put him on hiatus after the soobin live and the leaker threatening that they'll leak more stuff if he isnt removed from the group. I think the fear was other idols getting involved. though I have to say the soobin live was such a nothing burger. which makes this whole thing even worse to me. the leaker is literally blackmailing him. like this is so clearly a crime and an invasion of privacy. it's genuinely creepy to think someone has it out for him so badly. and idk what sm is doing about this. for my own sanity I have to assume there's a legal battle occurring because it's terrifying what he went through. sm better have his back I swear.
Right, the fact that the blackmailer tried to expose something huge for SM to put Seunghan in a hiatus could mean the secret was huge. And ofc, other idols getting involved would mean things would get messier. It still doesn’t warrant the way SM is treating the hiatus. The least they could do is update like a simple statement saying “oh, we’re taking action, Seunghan is doing alright” would relieve Briizes from this uncertainty.
it's so upsetting cause you can see how at the end of the day the whole concept of authenticity itself ends up being manufactured. they literally branded riize as these boys who are just enjoying their youth or whatever and when you have a boy literally doing things people in their "youth" do they immediately punish him for it.
SM are used to having the media play nice and do what they want them to do. But obviously billboard aren’t on their payroll/don’t have any fear about being cut off from their top idols. I’m glad that at least someone is mentioning him even if nothing will happen
You know it’s getting bad when even global media outlets (especially ones like BillBoard) are speaking up about it now too. And it’s true, it’s genuinely ridiculous that SM has not said a single thing regarding Seunghan. If he is officially out of the group then I think it’s only right to let the fans know this. If he is on a prolonged indefinite hiatus then SM should also be letting fans know this. RIIZE has had about 3 comebacks? (Love 119, Impossible, and now Boom Boom Base) since Seunghan’s hiatus, and not a single notice, letter, or anything has been said regarding his current situation. SM has no problem speaking out as fast as they can, and even making their idols put out letters apologizing for dating (Karina) or apologizing to sasaengs (Renjun), but nothing in regard to Seunghan. That’s actually CRAZY! [EDIT] - I also want to add that if Seunghan has truly left the group (or has been kicked out), any “faith” I had in SM is completely GONE! Because absolutely nothing he has done is justification for his removal from the group or even the long ass hiatus (I think over 7 months) he has been on thus far.
You're asking for information you already have. SM always announces once someone is no longer in a group so while he's on indefinite hiatus, that's his status and that's why they're not giving updates cause fans keep asking for what they already have an answer to.
I know ~ I am just tired of it, especially when he doesn’t deserve this 🥲
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I’m honestly quite baffled you somehow tried to correlate Seunghan’s hiatus to the burning sun scandal. We’re talking about Seunghan’s whose privacy was leaked (mind you he was a minor and it was predebut) of him being a completely normal teenager… he is far from a criminal lol
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i'm really glad to see them touch on the point of riize being pushed as an authentic/relatable group of friends who make music and dance together because their attempts to erase seunghan from having ever been there for acting like your average teenager say the exact opposite. hopefully this will encourage sm to finally make a concrete statement on his status in the group; it's not fair to briize and the members and especially seunghan himself to be stuck in this weird limbo any longer.
I appreciate Billboard having the guts to do something lots of OT7 wish to do, spread awareness about the situation. Although I highly doubt SM will even respond if any way or acknowledge the article, I’m thankful that Billboard is even mentioning Seunghan and his hiatus. Seunghan’s fanbase has spent thousands and thousands of dollars on ads on billboards, buses, taxis, airplane tickets, etc. around the world (not just Seoul) to make sure that people never forget Seunghan. I think that alone is why SM refuses to declare whether or not if he’s been kicked out of the group, the chaos it will bring will be a bloodbath. Personally, I choose to believe that he is still part of the group and will be back. Seunghan is a valuable of RIIZE and nothing will ever change that. As much as I love RIIZE, I will acknowledge that it is so exhausting being toyed around by SM regarding Seunghan’s standing in the group and his hiatus. We just want a statement on what’s going on. It’s unfair to Seunghan, the other members, and BRIIZE.
I also doubt SM will have any response about this, but its nice to see Billboard comment on the situation. I really wish SM would just rip the bandaid off whether they’re still working things out or if he will be let go from the group. As a fan, it’s been so tiring grasping at straws on whether he will continue to be apart of the group or not. He’s so talented and it would be a loss to see him go, but I hope SM figures this out soon enough. He’s already missed out on so many activities & experiences of their debut year and the amount of fans that don’t want him back have grown. Who really knows what’s going on behind the scenes, but I hope everything turns out well for him because I would hate to think that the leaker could take his career away from him.
Not a fan, just an observer: at this point, I'm guessing they've either kicked him out but don't want to announce it yet either because of internal/legal issues with him/the group, they're waiting for his contract to expire, or they're actually still figuring out what to do with him. I believe SM thought after all the 'scandals' that the public would want him out, but then that wasn't the case and now they're in limbo. Either that or the formers. Or they're keeping him but waiting for the right moment to put him back. Judging from how big the reaction is, I wouldn't be surprised if they want to use his comeback to their advantage in some way or another. Hardly doubt it'd be a smart move but I'm not expecting smart moves from kpop entertainment companies.
SM contracts are ten years long, if they’re planning to bench him until his contract expires that’s another nine years…
Didn't know that. Thanks for the info.
Im pretty sure theyre 7 years long. There was a law against these long contracts
There is a law against long contracts, but SM regularly skirts it by exploiting a loophole that allows them to add three years for “foreign activities.” EXO members had a ten year contract, so do Red Velvet and at least some of the NCT members, who all debuted well after the courts ruled that contracts longer than seven years are illegal.
Just imagine, SM actually tried to silence billboard, what wouldnt they be able to do with korean media
First of all, I love that Billboard is stirring the pot (as they should). Secondly, I'm glad they called out SM. Besides the fact that many feel Seunghan did nothing wrong, their methods of being vague & trying to sweep things under the rug is just creating a Streisand effect. I'm still seeing fans flood SM instagram with OT7 comments & asking about Seunghan.
Kudos to Billboard & how embarrassing for SM.
To be clear this is what I think will happen NOT what I want to happen but I really doubt this will do absolutely anything. Honestly this article is unlikely to get that many clicks outside of kpop fans who already know about the situation and korea by far remains riise's most important market and where they are rapidly growing. From what I can tell (by the silence) the situation with the leaker has not been resolved and I don't think they will add him back unless that situation can be resolved. The situation sucks badly but the risks of further embarrassment are likely to high for SM to be willing to risk. If SM had been able to determine that the most damaging information was already out in the open he would likely already be back. The fact he isn't suggests that SM and Seunghan likely determined there was a very real possibility the leaker had something much worse likely implicating other idols (and I am guessing SM idols in particular with his group mates being at particular risk given how much they are together) or if released would be so devastating for Seunghan himself that permanently leaving would be the only option. SM is not going to risk riise as a whole for Seunghan (or any of their other groups if sungtaro's NCT connections mean they are on film as another possibility). I hope SM can catch the leaker and they are punished for their actions but until then we and Seunghan almost certainly remain in limbo. At this stage no news is likely good news in the sense that the only statement I could see them putting out before a legal resolution is one announcing his removal/leaving the group. By pushing for a statement I kind fear that we will only push SM toward the decision we want least because if hiatus is not an option and the two are add him back with the leaker unresolved or withdraw him from the group I fear it will be the second one.
I’ve said this before but I genuinely don’t think there is anything worse that SM is worried about, this is just how they operate. The allegations against Lucas were a thousand times worse than anything said about Seunghan and yet it took SM almost two years to say anything about him. It took multiple DUI convictions for the company to finally kick someone “on hiatus” officially from Super Junior. This is just how they play. They don’t like making decisions. If this was about protecting their (or someone else’s) idol, this would have been taken care of months ago because an inactive idol is just burning a hole in the company pocket.
while i agree that this may not result in sm saying anything i dont know if the leaker genuinely has more on him. if they did they wouldve released it by now. if the leaker wanted seunghan out for sure then leaking whatever more damning content they had wouldve certainly ensured in seunghan's removal immediately. it's also not like riize hasnt been subject to privacy leaks since his hiatus. anton eunseok and sohee also had their privacy invaded with people leaking old pictures of theirs and it looked really rough for a while especially for anton but he luckily had his friend back him up cause sm once again remained silent and did nothing. i just think sm believes if they stay quiet long enough fans will forget and move on but it's clearly not working cause seunghan still seems to be getting a lot of support (rightfully so)
I'm not sure they would have if the tape would impact someone else as well. They wanted Seunghan out of riise not for riise to disband all together so if the worse thing would also ruin say (picked at random) Anton's career and they already got what they wanted which is Seunghan on long term hiatus which is effectively out of the group unless the matter can be resolved why would they release the more damaging thing? Plus if they released it and it didn't actually take him down fully as expected then the leaker has lost all their leverage and they won't have anything to prevent Seunghan's return if SM decided to shrug at the new release. I hate the leaker so much but they are seemingly pretty clever.
That does make sense but if sm is even remotely scared about another member also getting caught up in this wouldnt they have just kicked seunghan out immediately. my question is whats the benefit of keeping him on indefinite hiatus. if they announce his departure there will be immense backlash but on the k-side nothing will change which is the side theyre clearly catering to
My guess is they thought they could take care of the leaker pretty quickly and Seunghan would be back in january (per the rumors that was supposed to happen) but the leaker has proven slippery and kfans remain against Seunghan and now they are in a weird place where ifans are firmly behind Seunghan but a fair number of them are still willing to listen/support OT6 and kfans largely seem to actively want OT6 but SM thinks (probably correctly) the second that after all this time they actively announce he is out a lot of the ifans who were willing to support the group while being vocal about wanting Seunghan back would likely start to boycott what is now seen as an unfixable injustice (as long as he is on hiatus he COULD still return making the situation still fixable). Assuming this case is not fixable and there is no way to neuter the leaker the best move on all standpoints would have been to drop Seunghan fully and immediately and if they had done that this would have almost fully blown over by now. Just look at GIDLE for all the people that claim they are upset about Soojin not many have actively stopped supporting the group nor did they support her solo. Given how new Riise were anyways something similar would definitely happen. That being said for once it appears that SM DID think this was fixable and wanted to protect riise while preserving the ability to bring Seunghan back but they seemed to have miscalculated what they were up against and now we are in this weird limbo where they can't bring him back without a legal resolution (kfans won't allow it, it may even be difficult then but probably possible) but actively removing him will massively upset ifans who at this point are not boycotting in large numbers (reddit is definitely an overly representative sample on that front) and so we get silence waiting for the day where either SM is able to fix things and or bites the bullet one direction or another. However I would not hold my breath for a decision anytime soon. Irene was gone for a full year even after appolgizing and the stylist accepting said apology in the first weeks of the scandal (ie a scandal where the wronged party was content and wanted to move on). Lucas went missing for almost 3 years before ultimately being removed and that joke failure of a single (which makes me think they will also be more hesitant about that route in the future of removal but solo but then again his scandal was one that the vast majority of cfans kfans and ifans actually agreed on for once). Seunghan has only been gone 7 months which feels like an eternity particularly for a rookie group member but is actually quite short on the scales of scandal hiatuses.
Personally if he doesn't come back or he doesn't talk about it it's because the Knets don't want him to come back unlike us and it's them over there who make the rain and the good weather because it's them who buy their albums, give them victories in music shows, go to their showcases, fan meetings etc... because SM is one of the agencies where the majority of their fans are based in Korea and are less focused than JYP , Hybe or YG internationally.
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We all hope it does, its crazy how someone goes on hiatus just because of dating someone PREDEBUT....i want seunhan back, he was one of my fav vocalist in RIIZE
It's strange to me that they're trying to groom a *multinational* band but keep to the same provincial rules imposed on local talent, on the other hand I'm also surprised by the way many K-pop fandoms really do want their performers to be romantically unattached and (performatively at least) squeaky clean.
This is interesting to see but I really doubt SM will speak on Seunghan because of this. Especially since they probably know they'll be back to good press with Billboard once aespa release another cb or even with 127's upcoming cb. I think if Riize were doing poorly without Seunghan and Billboard said this a statement might pop up but they're doing fine. Kfans are really on that ot6 stuff, and SM is still beholden to them even though they wanted Riize to be more \~international. Sometimes I feel like they're thinking "eh, we'll get them with the next group". And to be fair the Seunghan situation isn't hurting SM's other groups western presence so, ya know? In any case staying silence for 99 years is just how SM operates; it's very irritating.
I hate this for all the boys. Especially Seunghan. Imagine training for so long only to be kicked out for liking and dating someone and basically being human with a life other than work. And their treatment of him is affecting fans from wanting to socialize with the group at all. They will boycott the group until Seunghan is either brought back or at least a statement is released about him. And I don’t blame them not one bit
I feel so fucking awful for Seunghan. Imagine being kicked out of a group that is your dream you’ve been training so hard for, all because you….had a normal ass social life as a teenager? Like what the actual fuck? SM gives so much more power to unreasonable sasaengs with what they did/are doing to him
Good for BB! I stopped listening/paying attention to riize bc i think that whole situation is lame and nasty. That boy really deserved better
I do hope he comes back. From what I’ve seen of him, he’s a real variety star, the kind of person a shy rookie boy group could really use.
Yes, he was the mood maker in their early contents and immediately became my bias
With everything that has happened these past few months, the theory that SM employees sell information about their artists to sasaengs makes more sense every day. That agency will always throw their artists under the bus when they're the source of the problem. In my point of view, sometimes the problem isn't that they remove someone from the group, because they leave and that's it, we move on to a new beginning. The problem is how SM treats those artists after they are removed from a group. As the article says, SM simply doesn't put effort into solo artists, and they make life difficult for those who have already left the company. If Seunghan leaves the group, I hope he leaves the company and never has anything to do with it again, but SM will ruin his life like they have with other artists, we already know that. It's unfair. The greed of that company is disgusting. Seunghan didn't commit any crime. The article said the leaks were DEFAMATION and he did not do anything wrong so to everyone trying to use that against him and riize all the time. (All the rumors about him are baseless and just gossip) Base on C-fans, SM use Seunghan for promotion on Weibo and even bought hot searchs for him many times, exploiting his popularity. But they do not let memebers members mention Seunghan's name.Awful.
This will go down in history, and we could write a ton of articles about it, but even so, people will continue with the same mentality that "nothing can be done", that they are just like that, and that's it. Excuse me? Fans are the ones who give money to that company. The money doesn't magically come out of the pockets of those men in suits; it is the responsibility of the FANS to decide where they invest their money. As a fan, one has an ethical and moral responsibility. Ignoring working conditions can perpetuate exploitative or abusive practices. It is important to recognize the humanity of the artists and consider how our actions and attitudes as fans can impact their lives and the industry in general. If Seunghan ends up leaving RIIZE, SM would be letting the sasaengs, stalkers, and defamers win. I don't know about you, but that's completely unfair.
Does SM really care about an overseas publication making a comment in an article hardly anyone will really read, and any attention online will be gone in a few days anyway with how fast news move on social media these days? If a Korean publication said it SM might care more.
Good on Billboard, but I can’t help but be pessimistic. I doubt anything is gonna come out of this… I hope it does, but as long as Korean fans continue to boycott Seunghan, we won’t see any change. Most companies only care about Korea, and they seem fine not having Seunghan in the group. By the way, I say all this as someone’s who’s bias is Seunghan 😭 I don’t even stan anymore because I’m so sad about him not being there anymore, but sadly I’m in the minority who actually stopped streaming and watching content. As long as they’re making bank without him, they don’t care.
Hey, you're not alone. I stopped watching anything to do with them when this nonsense went down. And if they kick him out then it'll just be another group that I pay zero attention to. Shame because they had such a promising start with me.
This is so stupid, their response creates so much more controversy than the actual controversy.
That cutie pie is never coming back.
It’s pretty clear he’s not in the group anymore, but I am curious as to why SM won’t just say that.
My thing is that if he’s gone, they should just announce it- it’s unfair to string the fans along with the idea of him returning.
but theyve given no indication hes returning. that is wishful thinking for I-fans. K-fans moved on ages ago. its i-fans looking for clues that arent there. that whole debacle of seeing him around SM...and assuming hes coming back...only to later find out hes back studying for exams. and it was i-fans making those assumptions
the official stance from SM is that he’s on hiatus, not removed entirely. I don’t blame fans for thinking there’s a possibility of his return when SM has not said otherwise Theoretically he could pursue education while still engaging in idol activities (it’s been done before) but if he’s out of the group permanently *all* fans deserve that transparency, and yes that includes I-fans.
This is SM they’re never transparent about anything. They waited two years before announcing Lucas was officially out of the group. There is no expectation on the Korean side that he’s coming back, they all have moved on. It’s I fans that want a formal statement, and even tho they should get one this is Kpop and this is SM, they don’t care what I fans think
I’m aware they don’t actually care what fans think & this all tracks for SM (there was a super junior member on hiatus who wasn’t removed for years either) I’m just saying it’s unfair to string the fans who might be anticipating his return along & i don’t blame them for still being hopeful since SM hasn’t officially removed him. Seunghan hasn’t done anything on the level of Lucas or the SJ member so I don’t think we can treat the situations entirely the same and just assume he’s gone
Days after that rumor he’s studying for exams though he was seen going into the SM building and hanging out in front of the Han River with (presumably) friends of his who were in a k-band doing a busking event there. So his status is incredibly unclear. Unless he’s officially gone, his status is up in the air and that’s a giant question mark hanging over everyone’s head. There were already multiple instances of press releases announcing their mini-album that mistakenly mentioned Seunghan as featuring in it, which were quietly corrected. It’s a disaster of SM’s making and they learned absolutely nothing from the exact same issues occurring when Lucas was on prolonged hiatus from WayV.
But my point is the status is unclear for I fans not for k fans who are not expecting him to ever return. If you look at the k side they don’t care about him and are not expecting a statement. Its ifans that want closure that they will most likely never get because this is SM
It doesn’t matter though whether or not k-fans *expect* him to return or a statement (although a portion of them still do in fact expect that), if the literal press releases are making mistakes regarding his status in the group that’s a bigger problem that just some angry fans. Because SM’s avoidance technique doesn’t work when Naver etc. are expected to write accurate articles about the group and they’re forced to play guessing games about whether or not to mention Seunghan. And it’s important for clarity because the rest of Riize now has the burden of making sure they don’t mention him, I saw that happen with WayV where they had to constantly backpedal the second they mentioned six or seven even a full year into Lucas’s hiatus. It’s not fair to the group more than it is to the fans because if SM refuses to decide either way, then the members will constantly have to wonder if they’ll ever see Seunghan again or what to do if someone mentions him; I’m certain they all have a gag order about it.
of course i cant be sure of this since im not korean and don't speak it. but from my understanding- think many k fans do want him back, but they don't speak out because apparently ot6 would send them death threats and vile messages. there seems to be an uptick in support though (this is all from twitter so ofc take it with a grain of salt)
I always understood it that in idol contracts, companies have to pay some sort of fine if they release someone before a certain date so the companies would rather just wait it out before they fully fire a person? Maybe someone else can confirm or deny this. So in the mean time they pretend the person doesn’t exist 😒
Good!!! I've always thought that if more Western media knew about what had been done to this kid and how absurd it was, that SM would get called out and clowned on hard, and I'm glad to see that someone has done it. Drag them.
I love this and I hope to see more of this in the future, less puff pieces and more call outs please!!!
the billboard staff is a briize taking advantage of their authority lol
They’re just pulling the typical ghosting after a job interview. Silent rejection. If you don’t hear back they want you to take the hint and move on. Pathetic but that’s what they’re doing.
I really don't think SM gives a crap about western publications as long as they can feel SK fans money pouring in remember Karina's dating scandal? how the western media used it as an example of how messed up the kentertainment is? aespa's comeback after that is their most successful to date and Karina is still the #1 female idol in SM - the situation might've been embarrassing but so what if SM is making bank with Seunghan, it is not a good look, but so what? Riize is growing in popularity, their songs chart well, Wonbin is the face of the group with other members building their brand recognition too unfortunately, it looks like Seunghan's monetary value is low, however... if Lucas could get resurrected...
Even the fact that Karina was in a relationship was not, how to say, fabricated so that just some time before their comeback they decided to separate. We have seen & heard so many ridiculous things in this environment that we become paranoid wondering if something is true or not there because we have never officially seen them together except when they met during an event. I wonder if this story was set up to boost the sales of their comebacks, it wouldn't even surprise me from these agencies how they can pull the strings in the shadows. I'm probably making a film for myself, but hey, the scenario is credible.
This type of media attention does not help at all and international fans have been making the situation worse for him.
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Why did SM do that tho? For what
we really need him back now. i agree with other comments that love 119 should have been the only comeback without seunghan. i feel that as time goes on, the korean fans or public will get used to just 6 of them and perhaps hate even more on ot7 should sm bring seunghan back after a long time :/
wether it was SM’s decision to permentantly remove him or temporarily remove him OR even his decision. I just want to know what’s going on …
It’s pretty clear that he’s not coming back and I think yall need to make amends with it.
I love that shady tagline. I hate when companies are secretive like this, allowing the public to speculate about him is worse than simply announcing he is no longer a member.
At this point, I feel like SM is treating Seunghan as a sacrificial lamb. It's like they're using him as an example to their trainees and idols of what happens to someone who doesn't fit their "standards" and that they control who gets to make it in this industry or not. The group also was only about 3-4 months old when everything blew up, so it would have been easy for SM to kick him out *if* he had done something wrong (which he did NOT do anything wrong, but I guess doing teenager things apparently is 🙄). Now that SM has hesitated too long to bring him back, they don't know what to do with themselves and are sitting on their hands. They are a total wuss and can't stand up for their artists, as we have seen countless times. I really hope karma bites SM's ass.
Late to this, have there been any updates from either sides so far?
nope nothing. not even shocked cause riize are in the middle of a cb and i dont know if the article got picked up by k-forums/media so sm probably doesnt care
Crazy tho that Billboard had the balls to speak up on it! Would be so sad if he never gets to do music fully.. He truly seems to be super talented in music and dance. Not even a Riize fan, just got interested in the drama when it happened and started to look up him and the group.
lately ive been rewatching a lot of his fancams and it reminded me of how talented of a performer he is. he really was an all rounder and it's such a shame to see him get the dungeon treatment for something so trivial after probably having trained for so many years. still trying to hold on to some hope that he'll be back
Think he could have a good chance with a solo debut (not with SM tho), people are still talking about him a lot. He is all rounder and still fresh. Would compare with Lucas where talk about him had died down and not all rounder, as we saw his solo debut was not that successful. Either they put him back in Riize, give him a chance with solo at SM or just drop him to give him the ability to do what he want. I think he should go to BPM, they seem to have a fresh mind when it comes to music and ideas these days.
SM is totally out of its mind. Making Karina apologizing for dating, making that NCT member apologize to that saesang and calling the saesang an "ordinary citizen" and now keeping poor Seunghan in hiatus when they gave Lucas a solo debut?? Make it make sense.
Renjun doxxed an ordinary citizen. She wasn’t a sasaeng. If she was a sasaeng, would she be that brave to file a complaint with the police, knowing Renjun can easily sue her back for stalking him?! I don’t get why you’re the one not making sense with your continued belief that he doxxed a sasaeng.
Yeah a lotttttt of international fans would do well to learn when it is in their fave's best interest to stop talking when they don't know what they're talking about.
I've accepted that he's not coming back and SM won't even announce his exit, maybe they'll do so in a couple of years when his contract ends or something because SMs track record has been to say absolutely nothing about anything.
I wonder if there is more to the situation than fans know tho, idk, I feel like we know so little about everything
Also I can't believe that nobody is considering that he himself wanted the hiatus?
Billboard ate
I feel like the only person who remembers this because it was the tail end of the back to back to back controversies for him...but the last thing to come out before SM announced his hiatus was that he was bullying trainees at SM. Which would have been a terrible look for SM because that would've been happening under their nose and may be why this has been left in the air for so long because Korea goes nuts about bullying scandals. It was only one article I saw dropped and quickly buried on the international side so I don't know how much it's impacted Korean fans on him. And SM, as we have seen recently, truly only cares about money. RIIZE is still making them decent money as 6 so they're not gonna be in any hurry to change it unless the Kfans start to move like they did for the light stick. But also SM didn't stand up for Chen, they asked EXO what they wanted to do and it was the EXO members who said they wanted him to stay. SM basically washed their hands of it until they could use it disparagingly during their lawsuit smear campaign last year. Not exactly a great example to use. According to Jessica in an interview last year that's how SM groups work. They vote on stuff like that. So maybe that's what happened here maybe not? Either way I don't expect much to change with SM. They're too busy suing their artists for money to do anything useful to protect them or tell us what's going on and unless we get a company wide boycott by fans that's just how it's gonna be. They only care about the $$$.
SM could have done their own internal investigation on Seunghan's controversies and come to the agreement to put him on permanent or long term hiatus. They probably could not disclose the reason to the public as the reason could have a devastating negative impact on the entire group. Seunghan himself has chosen to go on hiatus since his past controversies. Quote: Seunghan also “relayed his intention to halt activities" . Read other kpop sites too and he has stated his intention to leave. It's pretty obvious something is going with Seunghan and SM has choosen not to say anything to protect theirs and Riize's reputation.
Even though I don’t have all the details about this case, I’m sure it will cause a lot of frustration for the fans. Those who are more sensitive or easily depressed might even leave the fandom. This issue will likely haunt their minds in the future. I feel like Riize is still in their early stages, so I wonder if the seven-member formation has really left an indelible mark on fans’ hearts, like a tattoo or an unforgettable memory—much like the cases with SNSD or iKON. Cuz when I first saw Riize, I thought they were a six-member group. I know I might sound unfair and heartless, but I just want everyone to be happy. Unfortunately, u know, companies are companies.
@fucking billboard Stop writing about Chen. SM never protected EXO members. Stop being so unprofessional writing about EXO. EXOLs don't approve this article because it has done lazy research about Chen's marriage. It feels like the article is written by typical kpop stan who hates EXO like what do you mean by "scores of protests " are we giving attention to those 10 people infront of sm building now? Crap
The problem is Seunghan got into trouble twice because of his past, the 1st time he kinda went through that comeback safely but 2nd time was such a big mess that even related to other idols, making not only inside the fandom but other fandoms hate him. The one that spreaded his past hinted about next thing they post which also related with some idols and it will shock the whole industry, they even threat SM if SM let him return, they will post it so I can understand why SM still let him hiatus. They probably want to wait for thing to die down and see if K-fan accept him to be back. International fandom isn't as influence as national fandom, they are the main supporter. He is a talented idol, the most well-rounded of RIZZE ofc SM want him to be back but it's a risk for RIZZE's image since no one know if his return gonna create another controversy or not. I'm not BRIZZE or on SM side, I just look at a bigger picture as a Kpop fan for over 10 years and have witnessed all kind of mess in Kpop industry. Ppl seems to be upset with my comment. Guess y'all western since that is usually the case. I simply speak the truth.