The remaining members of the team have shared their message after the exit of their eldest.
In a post on their official account on X (formerly Twitter), ENHYPEN members Jay, Jake, Sunghoon, Jungwon, Sunoo, and Ni-ki issued a joint statement.
The English translation of the said open letter, which was written in Korean, read, “We think ENGENEs were very surprised to see today’s announcement. We were most worried about what [fans] would think. Since ENHYPEN has always existed for ENGENEs, seeing [fans] worry and struggling is the greatest pain for us.“
Reflecting on their bandmates withdrawal from the team, the six K-pop stars wrote, “The time we’ve spent together has been indescribably precious. That’s why we respect and support Heeseung’s choice and new beginning.”
The idols then said that they will do their best to “ease ENGENEs’ worries even a little and to create happy days for [fans]” by continuing to grow even more.
“To our precious ENGENEs who cheer and support us anytime, anywhere, we will become stronger and never forget our gratitude at every moment to become an ENHYPEN that you can always be proud of,” they added. “We are always grateful and we love you, ENHYPEN❤️“
The said post was published hours after their parent label Belift Lab announced that Heeseung would be leaving the group.
The company said that decision came to be after “much thought and consideration into ENHYPEN’s future direction and goals.”
“Through in-depth discussions with each of the members about the future they envision and the direction of the team, it became clear that Heeseung has his own distinct musical vision and we have decided to respect it,” the label continued.
It then announced, “As such, Heeseung will be parting ways with ENHYPEN, and ENHYPEN will continue official activities henceforth as a group of six members.”
Belift then assured that the six other members of ENHYPEN—Jay, Jake, Sunghoon, Jungwon, Sunoo, and Ni-Ki—remain committed to sharing energetic performances with ENGENE, while Heeseung will be preparing for a solo album as an artist under the company.
Following Tuesday’s statement, fans from all over the world have since went on to demand the reinstatement of Heeseung, citing that solo debuts of band members have become a norm in the industry.
ENHYPEN was formed through the survival reality show I-Land and made their official debut in November 2020.
Since then, they have released multiple successful extended plays and albums, which featured songs like Given-Taken, Tamed-Dashed, Polaroid Love, Bite Me, XO (Only If You Say Yes), and No Doubt.
Last January, they dropped what is now considered to be their final release under the original line-up, the extended play The Sin: Vanish, which carried the lead single Knife.
