Seunghan to rejoin RIIZE in November after almost one-year hiatus
RIIZE’s Seunghan will finally resume his activities with the group in November after his hiatus that lasted for nearly a year.
The K-pop act's label, SM Entertainment, made a lengthy announcement on Friday, Oct. 11 about the idol’s return as well as the future activities of the group as seven members.
“Seunghan acknowledges that his past actions were wrong, and he has currently halted activities for nearly a year while deeply reflecting [on his actions] and feeling apologetic to the other members and his fans,” the agency said, as translated from Korean into English by K-media outlet Soompi.
Their management added that they acknowledged that Seunghan’s actions from his pre-debut were “not appropriate as an artist,” which is why they had to thoroughly plan the timing of his return to the band.
Despite being on a hiatus, the agency said that Seunghan “consistently worked to build his skills” and will now gradually be part of some of their scheduled activities for November.
“Once again, we sincerely apologize for causing confusion and difficulty for the fans who have watched over and cheered for RIIZE’s growth. However, as RIIZE is a group that aims to rise and realize their dreams together, the members think of the group as their top priority and are, even at this very moment, working hard to practice [for their future activities],” they added.
'Determined to work even harder and do better'
For his part, the 21-year-old idol penned a heartfelt letter to his fans and apologized for the controversy over his past actions during his pre-debut, saying that he was “deeply disappointed and regretful” about himself.
“I sincerely want to apologize to the members and the fans. When the photos from before my debut were released, although they were photos of me, I was deeply disappointed and regretful about myself. If even I felt that way, I can’t even imagine how the members and fans by my side must have felt,” he said in his handwritten letter shared on Weverse.
He added that due to the issue, he had been worried about whether he would be able to perform on stage again and continue making music.
Seunghan also expressed his appreciation to his co-members for giving him another chance to join the group.
"I am determined to work even harder and do better because of the trust placed in me,” Seunghan said.
“I will strive to be a good member who takes responsibility and does not tarnish the achievements the members have built up. I want to become a necessary presence to the team RIIZE,” he added.
Seunghan was placed on an indefinite hiatus in November 2023 after getting backlash for his leaked photos and videos from his pre-debut, which included him smoking a cigarette and kissing an unidentified woman, among others. The controversial content circulated in August 2023, just a month before RIIZE officially debuted in the K-pop scene.
RIIZE is composed of Shotaro, Anton, Seunghan, Sohee, Eunseok, Wonbin, and Sungchan. They're known for the songs Get a Guitar, Boom Boom Bass, Love 119, and Memories.
The group previously visited the Philippines last July as part of their Riizing Day fan con tour.