He is the next star to leave the company.
On Monday, April 6, Korean company SM Entertainment dropped another bombshell statement after disclosing another exit of another high-profile personality from the agency.
This time, Thai K-pop idol TEN, member of the K-pop group NCT and the China unit WayV, is the second star confirmed to be exiting SM this month alone.
The statement read, “Following careful and extensive discussions regarding Ten’s future direction, we have reached a mutual understanding to conclude his exclusive contract with SM Entertainment, effective April 8.“
“Moving forward, we will continue to stay in close communication to explore opportunities for Ten to participate in WayV and NCT activities, where possible,” the company furthered.
SM also noted that throughout his career, which began in 2016, “Ten has brought a distinctive artistic presence and breadth of talent to both his group and solo work.”
“We sincerely appreciate the time we have shared together, and wish him all the best as he moves forward into a new chapter,” the statement continued.
To conclude its message, SM Entertainment said that it “remains committed to supporting WayV’s ongoing activities, and we extend our heartfelt thanks to fans for the continued love and support. We will continue to do our utmost to honor that support. Thank you.”
Following the revelation of his decision to leave SM, TEN uploaded a letter directed to fans.
“Hi Czennies and WayZenNies, it’s TEN. It’s hard to believe that it’s been 10 years since my debut with NCT U in 2016! Looking back, every moment that I’ve spent with you-as a member of NCT, WayV, the SMTOWN family, and as ‘TEN’ whom you’ve come to know, love and support-has been incredibly meaningful to me and I truly cherish every moment of this journey,” he said.
The 30-year-old idol then shared, “As I approach my 10th anniversary, I’ve found myself wanting to take on new challenges, explore new possibilities, and discover new versions of myself.”
“So, after a lot of thought and many heartfelt discussions with the members and the staff at SM, I’ve decided to conclude my exclusive contract with the company,” he continued the explanation behind to leave the agency.
He, however, emphasized that SM will always be his “home”, and will forever be proud to say that he grew up at SM—especially as the first Thai artist to do so.
“Being given the opportunity to learn, perform and grow as an artist at SM is something that I will always be grateful for and hold close to my heart,” he expressed his gratitude towards the agency.
TEN went on to convey his sincere thanks to everyone who had been part of his journey over the past 10 years. “I am who I am today because of all of you.“
“Thank you to my members and the staff at SM for supporting my decision and, most importantly, thank you to my fans-my Czennies and WayZenNies-who have supported and loved me unconditionally, it means more to me than I can express into words,” he added.
Moving forward, he vowed to continue his activities as Ten of NCT and WayV. At the same time, he is excited to show new sides of TEN and to evolve in new ways as a solo artist in this next chapter!
“Please continue to give your love and support to NCT, WayV, and me,” he concluded his message.
The news about TEN’s departure from SM happens three days after the prior announcement of his fellow member Mark Lee’s decision to also exit the company, as well as the band itself, effective on April 8, too.
TEN was among the first members of NCT to be introduced in April 2016, eventually becoming part of the permanent sub-unit NCT 127.
He later joined the China-based unit WayV in 2018, alongside fellow NCT members Kun, Xiaojun, Winwin, Hendery, Yangyang, and formerly, Lucas.
He also had a duo with Yangyang, which was simply called Ten & Yangyang.
Outside of NCT, Lee also dabbled into his solo projects, collaborations with other artists, and the project group SuperM.