Heeseung’s Exit From ENHYPEN:
The recent news concerning Lee Heeseung, an ENHYPEN member, has sent shockwaves through the global K-pop scene. Fan reactions worldwide peaked following the announcement that the singer would be leaving the group to focus on his solo career. A petition demanding his return quickly went viral and is now approaching one million signatures.
Heeseung’s Exit From ENHYPEN
The management agency BELIFT LAB officially declared on March 10 that Heeseung would depart from ENHYPEN to pursue his solo career. The agency made its statement about the decision after it had conducted thorough discussions about the future of the group and the artistic development needs of the artist.
“BELIFT LAB has given much thought and consideration [to] 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 official statement read.
엔진 오늘 공지 보고 많이 놀랐을 것 같아요
엔진이 어떻게 생각할지 가장
먼저 걱정했어요
엔하이픈은 언제나 엔진을 위해
존재하는 만큼 엔진이 걱정하고
힘들어하는 것을 보는 것이 저희에게는
가장 큰 아픔이에요.저희에게 지금까지 함께 해왔던 시간은
말로 표현할 수 없을 만큼 소중한…— ENHYPEN (@ENHYPEN_members) March 10, 2026
“Heeseung will be preparing a solo album as an artist under BELIFT LAB,” the statement continued. “We ask for ENGENE’s continued love and support for ENHYPEN and Heeseung as they start a new chapter of their journey.”
For fans, however, the news came as a major surprise. DEBUTING IN 2020 THROUGH THE SURVIVAL SHOW I-LAND he started his career as an entertainer.
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Petition Spread Across the Internet
Almost immediately after the announcement, fans launched a petition on the advocacy platform Change.org. The campaign demands that the agency should change its decision to let Heeseung continue his solo work while remaining in ENHYPEN.
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The response generated an overwhelming reaction. The petition received hundreds of thousands of signatures during the first 24 hours and its momentum continued to grow as fans distributed the campaign through social media networks all over the world.
“While we fully support Heeseung’s artistic growth and the opportunity for him to explore solo music, we strongly believe that a solo career should not require leaving ENHYPEN,” reads the caption of the petition.
For the fandom known as “ENGENE,” the issue goes beyond a lineup change. Many fans consider ENHYPEN’s seven-member formation integral to the group’s success and emotional narrative since debut.
The fan communities and social platforms have made the slogan “ENHYPEN is seven” into a popular trend.
Heeseung’s Exit From ENHYPEN: Heeseung’s Response
Following the announcement, Heeseung addressed fans directly through the fan platform Weverse. He thanked his supporters through a handwritten letter which he wrote during his time in ENHYPEN because he considered the news to be shocking.
Heeseung explained that he had been preparing personal projects for some time and felt it was the right moment to explore his own musical direction. He assured his fans that he still values his relationship with the group and its supporters.
