The global K-pop community is reeling after BELIFT LAB announced on March 10, 2026, that 24-year-old Heeseung is officially leaving ENHYPEN to pursue a solo career. The sudden departure of the group’s oldest member immediately triggered shockwaves across the industry, fracturing a six-year lineup and prompting a fan petition demanding his return that amassed 200,000 signatures within hours.
The real-time magnitude of the news was captured during a live broadcast on March 11, 2026, when Yechan of the rookie group 82MAJOR learned of the departure mid-stream. After noticing his chat flooding with the development, Yechan paused his broadcast to search for the announcement, exclaiming, “What? What! What do you mean?” before adding, “Why did he leave? He was my favourite.”
BELIFT LAB confirmed the lineup change in a formal statement, noting Heeseung will remain under the label to explore a distinct musical vision independently. The agency set a six-member lineup moving forward, consisting of Jungwon, Jay, Jake, Sunghoon, Sunoo, and Ni-ki. The remaining six members issued a joint statement pledging to grow stronger as they prepare for their next chapter.
Heeseung addressed the global fandom directly through a handwritten letter published on the community platform Weverse. He described his journey with ENHYPEN since their 2020 debut on the survival show I-LAND as overwhelming and precious, thanking fans for their unwavering support. The exit marks the first lineup change in the group’s history and has sparked viral comparisons to Zayn Malik’s departure from One Direction in March 2015, with fans dubbing the parallel events a March curse in boy band history.