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RIIZE is a 6-member boy group under SM Entertainment. The boy group originally had a lineup of 7 members, but former member Seunghan left in October 2024.
They officially debut on September 4, 2023 with the single album “Get Guitar”.
The name “RIIZE” is a combination of “RISE” – representing growth, and “REALIZE”, meaning “a team that grows and realizes dreams together”.
RIIZE biography
- Group name: RIIZE
- Debut date: 04/09/2023
- Company: SM Entertainment
- Total members: 6 (previously 7)
- Members: Shotaro, Eunseok, Sungchan, Wonbin, Sohee, Anton
- Former member: Seunghan
- Fandom Name: BRIIZE
RIIZE official SNS channels
- Youtube: @RIIZE_official/@SMTOWN
- Instagram: @riize_official
- X (Twitter): @riize_official
- TikTok: @riize_official
- Website: riizeofficial.com
RIIZE discography (excluding remixes and other language versions of the same songs)
Mini-album
- Riizing (2024)
- Riizing: Epilogue (repackaging) (2024)
Single albums
- Pick Up a Guitar (2023)
- Lucky (2024) – Japanese
Digital singles
- Memories (2023)
- Talk to Saxy (2023)
- Love 119 (2024)
- Mermaid (2024)
- Impossible (2024)
OST
- “Happy! Happy! Happy!” and “Look at Me Sealook” – Sealook OST (2023)
- “Same Key” – Mud Makeup OST (2024) – Japanese
Special information about RIIZE
Members Shotaro and Sungchan have already debuted in SM’s boy group NCT, which was introduced as part of the lineup in October 2020.
Meanwhile, member Anton (real name Lee Chan-young), draws attention for being the son of veteran songwriter and singer Yoon Sang, who has previously written songs for SM artists such as BoA and TVXQ!.
Eunseok and Seunghan were also revealed as the new members of SM Entertainment’s trainee team SMROOKIES in 2022.
RIIZE gained rapid popularity soon after their debut with “Get A Guitar” and secured various rookie awards at Korean award ceremonies. They faced some hardship during the release of “Talk Saxy,” but quickly regained momentum with the popularity of “Love 119.”
RIIZE Disputes
Before RIIZE’s debut, a netizen who claimed to have attended the same school as Wonbin said that the male idol was a bully in the past.
Meanwhile, another RIIZE member, Sohee, faced various accusations of going bar hunting (bars where people find sexual partners) as old photos of him were leaked.
However, these allegations have never been verified, and fans and netizens have been vigilant about the claims.
In 2023, RIIZE revealed the fandom name to be SUNZ at their debut showcase, but SM Entertainment later released a new statement, changing the fandom name to BRIIZE. This is because many fans and netizens find the previous name controversial.
In particular, by combining the group name “RIIZE” and the fandom name “SUNZ,” the combination reminds people of the term “Rising Sun,” a flag used by Japan during various historical conflicts with Korea.
RIIZE has been accused of plagiarism on several occasions.
Notably, the group has been accused of copying NewJeans due to various similarities, including the latter’s famous Y2K concept.
Later, a local brand claimed that RIIZE’s merchandise had plagiarized one of their designs.
- Controversy over former member Seunghan’s personal life
In August 2023, various photos of Seunghan being intimate with a person suspected to be his ex-girlfriend began to surface, and there were even allegations that Seunghan took the alleged girlfriend, who was allegedly underage, to a motel.
Afterwards, other accusations began to be raised against Seunghan, such as him being promiscuous and a “gold digger”, forcing his girlfriend to have an abortion, showing tendencies towards violence, and insulting Park Ji-hoon (formerly Wanna One).
Seunghan’s controversies also led to several HYBE idols being dragged into chaos.
However, only the intimate photos were confirmed as real, leading Seunghan to apologize for his past actions. Other allegations have never been confirmed.
Following these accusations, Seunghan stopped his activities for 10 months, before SM Entertainment announced that he would return to RIIZE.
However, due to strong opposition from Korean fans, Seunghan eventually left the group.
