On March 10, 2026, BELIFT LAB – the HYBE subsidiary that manages ENHYPEN – announced that lead vocalist Heeseung would be leaving the group to pursue a solo career. He will remain signed to BELIFT LAB as a solo artist and is preparing his first solo album. ENHYPEN will continue as a six-member group.
Here’s what the agency’s announcement actually confirmed and what remains unconfirmed.
What BELIFT LAB announced
The agency’s statement said the decision followed extensive discussions with all members of the group about their individual visions and the future direction of the team. “Through in-depth discussions with each of the members about the future they envision and the direction of the team,” said BELIFT LAB, “it became clear that Heeseung has his own distinct musical vision and we decided to respect that.”
The statement clearly confirms three things:
- Heeseung will leave ENHYPEN
- He will remain under BELIFT LAB as a solo artist and is preparing a solo album
- ENHYPEN will continue as a six-member group consisting of Jungwon, Jay, Jake, Sunghoon, Sunoo and Ni-ki
This is not a failure to renew the contract. Heeseung is not leaving the label: he is transitioning from group member to solo artist within the same company.
What Heeseung said
Later the same day, Heeseung posted a handwritten letter to fans on Weverse, directly addressing the news. He acknowledged that the announcement came as a surprise and expressed gratitude for his six years with the group.
“The six years I have had have been filled with moments so overwhelming and precious that it is difficult to fully express them in words,” he wrote. “Thanks to the members who shared countless emotions with me and to all of you ENGENE who always filled every empty space with your support, I was able to take step by step towards a dream that once seemed impossible to achieve.”
Heeseung also referenced his work as a songwriter and composer — he contributed songs including “Highway 1009” — and said he spent a lot of time discussing how to share his solo projects with fans. He described following “the company’s suggested direction” so he could present “the best version” of himself.
Why couldn’t he do both?
A common question in the days following the announcement was why Heeseung couldn’t pursue solo activities while remaining a member of ENHYPEN, as members of BTS, BLACKPINK, and SEVENTEEN did.
BELIFT LAB addressed this issue head-on when Billboard asked, “We concluded that allowing HEESEUNG to focus fully on his career as a solo artist, rather than pursuing solo endeavors within the team, would be the most satisfying approach for both ENHYPEN and HEESEUNG.” The agency also noted that ENHYPEN’s year-round schedule makes it difficult for members to develop independent musical projects while maintaining full group commitments.
The response of the fans
The announcement generated an immediate and large-scale reaction from ENGENE, the ENHYPEN fandom. Since March 10, fans have launched petitions that have surpassed one million signatures, funded protest trucks outside HYBE headquarters in Seoul, and generated tens of millions of social media posts with hashtags including #ENHYPENIS7 and #BringBackHeeseung.
Some fans pointed to Heeseung’s use of the phrase “the direction suggested by the company” in his letter as suggesting that the decision may not have been entirely his. Neither BELIFT LAB nor Heeseung have publicly called the departure involuntary. On March 15, BELIFT LAB reiterated its position: “Heeseung will not return to ENHYPEN. He has a clear artistic direction that he wants to pursue, and we have decided to respect that.”
Because this moment is important
Heeseung’s departure is the first lineup change ENHYPEN has experienced since their debut in November 2020, when the seven-member group formed through the survival competition I-Land.
The announcement came shortly after one of the group’s most commercially successful periods. Their seventh EP, Sin: vanishdebuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 in January 2026 – the chart’s sixth consecutive top 10 entry – and sold over two million copies in its first week. The group has been considered one of the most important fourth generation K-pop artists.
Moving forward, Heeseung will remain with BELIFT LAB and prepare for a solo debut. ENHYPEN will continue with six members. No timeline has been confirmed for either.
