Fans are still reeling from the news that Lee Heeseung would leave ENHYPEN to pursue a solo career. In a statement released to The Korea Herald, Belift Lab made it clear that Heeseung “will not be returning to ENHYPEN.”
According to the HYBE sub-label, the group’s schedule will be “extremely demanding” through the rest of the year, making it difficult for members to squeeze in full solo careers on top of maintaining group activities. “He [Heeseung] has a clear artistic direction he wants to pursue, and we decided to respect that.”
On the day his departure was announced, Heeseung himself posted a handwritten letter reaffirming that this was a mutual decision made between him and Belift Lab. The remaining members Jungwon, Jay, Jake, Sunghoon, Sunoo, and Ni-Ki released their own statement expressing their support.
And yet, that didn’t stop international ENGENEs from demanding that Heeseung be reinstated as a member of ENHYPEN. Fans have launched petitions and received funding for billboard campaigns. Dozens of protest trucks have parked themselves outside HYBE headquarters. Some ENGENEs have flooded the fan communities of HYBE artists like BTS and SEVENTEEN in the hope of getting them to intervene.
These people insist that Heeseung didn’t really choose to leave, that the label pushed him out, and that ENGENEs need to “fight for him” until he comes back. But who decided that Heeseung needed saving?
The Skepticism Isn’t That Unreasonable
While the response from fans has been an overreaction, it’s worth acknowledging there’s something off about how Heeseung’s departure is being handled.
Heeseung, who was the main vocalist of ENHYPEN, left right in the middle of a busy period following the release of the group’s EP THE SIN: Vanish.
Scheduled fan calls involving him were canceled or rescheduled on short notice.
ENHYPEN’s weekly variety web series EN-O’CLOCK is currently on hiatus until April.
Merchandise featuring Heeseung was still being promoted just before the announcement dropped.
Rumors spread that his flight to Melbourne, Australia for the Hello Melbourne festival was reportedly canceled at the last minute. None of that screams “this was a carefully planned decision.”
Then there’s the letter itself. Depending on the translation, Heeseung either says his decision to leave ENHYPEN was made “according to the direction the company suggested,” while a different translation states he “made a big decision in line with the direction that was discussed.” The discrepancy has led to confusion on whether Heeseung was being forced out of ENHYPEN or if this was truly his decision to make.
HYBE Is Always Seen as the Villain
The past few years have not been kind to HYBE’s reputation among K-pop fans.
The Min Hee Jin dispute left a mark. Regardless of who you think was in the right, it painted HYBE as a corporation willing to go to war with their employees to protect its business interests. The company stopped being a label and became a symbol of corporate overreach and corruption. The investigations HYBE’s founder Bang Si-hyuk is facing over stock fraud has only reinforced that image.
Belift Lab has always been seen as one of HYBE’s least competent sub-labels. Fans have complained for years that ENHYPEN are overworked and for them, Heeseung’s exit is confirmation of their worst fears. There are many idols who pursue solo careers and are still active members in their respective groups. How busy is ENHYPEN if Heeseung couldn’t balance solo activities with the group’s schedule?
Belift saying “this was Heeseung’s choice” sounds like a coverup no matter what anyone else says. This is reactive devaluation in action. When you distrust an individual or entity, their statements confirm your worst suspicions because you never liked them in the first place.
The Protests Are Making Things Worse
The fans who are protesting Heeseung’s departure genuinely believe they’re standing up for him. They’re convinced he’s been stripped of his autonomy and that they have to do something. That’s the story they’re telling themselves. They’re the heroes, Belift Lab is the villain. And somewhere out there, Heeseung is waiting to be rescued.
But how can a group of people who’ve never met or spoke to Heeseung (at least outside of a concert, random encounter or fan meeting) know his current situation better than the man himself? Who are they to claim they understand the true reason for why he left ENHYPEN?
These fans dismiss his letter as something he felt obligated to say, arguing that his version of events can’t be trusted. In doing so, the ENGENEs accusing Belift Lab of mistreating Heeseung are undermining his ability to make his own decisions. At some point, fans need to stop asking “what really happened” and instead wonder “why don’t I believe Heeseung?”
Doesn’t mean those ENGENEs are bad people. This was something that came out of the blue and a lot of people are grieving.
K-pop is designed to encourage fans to develop an intense connection to their favorite idols. Fan calls, sending messages on Weverse or Bubble, behind-the-scenes content. All of it creates a sense of closeness that feels real.
“ENHYPEN is 7” isn’t just a slogan. For a lot of fans, it was an identity. Watching the group continue as six means losing something that was part of how they defined themselves.
The petitions and protest trucks are, in a way, a form of mourning. They give people something to do with the loss. The problem is that these actions are being framed as activism and that has consequences.
Keeping this controversy alive doesn’t help Heeseung. It’s hurting him. He’s probably not happy about the way fans are reacting but might be at a loss on what he should do next. It also puts more pressure on ENHYPEN, since the protests and boycotts are basically saying the remaining six members aren’t good enough as they are. That they need Heeseung to survive or else they’ll be abandoned by a fandom whose support they need more than ever.
If you really love Heeseung, the best thing you can do is exactly what he’s asked: trust him. Follow his solo work. Let him build something new without a cloud of drama hanging over it. Stop fighting a battle he hasn’t asked anyone to fight.
The remaining members said they “respect and support Heeseung’s decision,” so now it’s ENGENEs turn to do the same.
