Heeseung departure - thoughts, notes, delusions
16th of March - day 7 of Enhypen6
So like for every other Engene, this was a pretty bad week. I'm lucky to have excellent people both IRL and online to discuss this with, because this sucked and it's going to continue to suck in some ways, but I think I more or less organised my thoughts and reached some final conclusions.
Disclaimer : I do not speak Korean or Japanese fluently enough to gather any extra insight or nuances from videos or letters referenced in this. Keep that in mind. Also keep in mind I am just theorising, because I am hurt and confused and because kpop is supposed to be fun but this wasn't fun, at all. I thought I was okay but I wasn't okay, and I cried my eyes out in the theater while watching the tour movie. My opinions are wrong and yours are right, now.. Here's my opinions.
Tagging @storkmuffin because of course.
So, as everyone knows, 10th of March was the day we got the sudden announcement that Heeseung will be leaving Enhypen to pursue solo music career - effective immediately. The fandom took that about as well as you'd expect from a heavily invested fandom when the group's center and ace randomly despawns after nearly 6 years, with only 1 year and a bit to go of the original 7 year contract.
Immediately, the fandom split into "Heeseung the traitor" and "Belift the absolute satanic company" factions, which is understandable but as it goes with large movements, probably fails to capture the full nuance of the situation. I don't know that we HAVE to understand this perfectly, but trying to give what happened a place in my mind helps me move past this and still support Enhypen (and other groups in the future) even though my friends and I got sincerely shocked out of our normal life routines by this event. But I did not join the (impressive) 2 million protest signature petition, and I will explain why.
The way I see it is the following. There are, when simplifying a bit, 3 parties involved, effectively: Heeseung, the company (BeLift or entirety of HYBE, doesn't matter for this post), and the rest of Enhypen. Who's fault is it that Heeseung left so suddenly? My problem with every explanation and theory was that each of the ones I saw was overlooking one or other important aspect of what I, at least, think would be part of the decision making. I did initially have the thought of "What if it was a group conflict?" but quickly dismissed it because stirring up drama for absolutely no reason, with absolutely no proof isn't really a productive way to think about this. We probably all prefer to see our favourite groups as a group of friends or very friendly coworkers who learned how to deal with each other, so making assumptions out of nowhere wasn't gonna lead me anywhere.
This leaves me with two parties to discuss here in detail for now.
First, Heeseung himself. Throughout the years, he expressed he wanted to make solo music, he released (some?) tracks, he was happily involved with directing and producing his members on their group tracks (for example, you can see him in the Behind The Scenes videos for Bite Me, and some others). This... isn't surprising, given that his general vibe and his incredible musical skills (perfect pitch and so on!) lend themselves well to Heeseung being the "cool producer idol". On the other hand, being "the best out of the group of 7" didn't seem to suit him. I am not saying there were signs (I personally didn't see them, anyway) but rather that it makes sense that he wanted to do more, just simply more with music itself. His approach to fans was loving of course, but surprisingly distant for an idol of this era. As far as I am aware, he posted less on Weverse, replied to less comments, livestreamed less than some of his teammates. For comparison: Although Weverse is a platform for dozens upon dozens of groups, the "top poster" and "top commenter" labels FOR THE ENTIRE, WHOLE PLATFORM have been easily grabbed by one of Heeseung's teammates - Jungwon. Better yet, the second highest comment count on the platform for the previous year was another Enhypen member - Jay, who likes to wax poetic and get deep with his fans in the comments, talking about life and fandom and hopes and future and philosophy.
For reference, the third most active person ON THE ENTIRE PLATFORM, had, if I remember correctly (I cannot find this for some reason), literally half less comments posted than Jay. That being said, I don't think it's necessarily an obligation to be this active, I am just saying: We live in an era of an online idol, where concerts, meetings and fansigns are only the highlights of the idol experience, but the actual relationships are built in the downtimes, the times between. We have no attention span - if we do not get entertained, all the time, to a high enough degree, we move on to the next thing. And at least from what I can gather, Enhypen as a group understand this well: They debuted during corona, and it took them years before they got to see their fans' faces in real life. Enhypen's company provides resources and content for the fans to obsesses over, but Enhypen themselves fed this obsession and interaction. So what does that have to do with Heeseung?
Well, simply put, he doesn't really participate in this. Whether he doesn't know how to, doesn't like to do it, doesn't feel comfortable interacting with fans and entertaining them by simply yapping on stream and looking pretty - we don't know why, but he was not nearly as active. For now, let's just keep in mind that it's his own teammates who are heavy users of this artist-fandom connecting platform, and move on to the next thing.
Lee Heeseung, the ace - from the very beginning, the literal moment he appears on I-Land, their debut show, Heeseung is THE ace. He is THE perfect idol, with perfect voice, height, visuals, admiration from other contestants, the judges, and (as it turns out) the fans. No one ever expected anything but the best from him, and he never showed the world anything but his best perfect self. He is never the problem, never the one who is falling behind, never the one who isn't trying hard enough. So... what does this do to a person? If you "easily" are the best, within a group that's doing great as it is, what happens to your view of self and your wishes for what place you should have in this world? I don't think he looked miserable with Enhypen, but he did look restless. Again, I do not look back on their content and think "We should have seen it coming". But he does speak remarkably little in a lot of their content, his energy levels when not on stage are best described as "battery saving mode", and he gives off the general vibe of "I could be somewhere else right now". That plus the fact that on stage he is the best, makes me think he just simply wanted more to do. He likes music, performance, attention, and showing off. He does not like being the best out of 7, he does not like idling or "wasting time" on non-music related activities (variety content, Weverse interaction). Again, this is purely speculation. But to me, it makes sense that he would really, sincerely, deeply desire to pursue music on the side, as a producer or a solo artist, in which he can push himself and learn and Be The Best, again, in a sort of new way.
And that brings me to my next point - the company. People loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee painting companies as ontologically evil entities who do nothing but stifle and suffocate their artists. And like, I am not a lover of corporations, but my view is a tiny bit more nuanced - Belift / HYBE are, all things considered, good companies who support and push their artists. After all, idol business is still business and making money is a primary goal of any for-profit organisation. The failure of other companies to better utilize the faces and talents of their signed artists isn't something to be celebrated. Enhypen are, by the words of their own company, simply too busy to have a member pursuing a solo career - and after thinking it through, I believe them. Their appearances are high in quality and quantity, their content is regularly scheduled and well-planned (and again, high quality). I am a fan because they make it easy to be a fan. There is SO MUCH STUFF you can look at, if you want to love them. We are spoiled for choice. But some fans seem to think it should still be possible to have Heeseung as a solo artist while also promoting with Enhypen, and while I initially agreed, I don't think so anymore. The names that come up (Jin, Jungkook, Blackpink members, Taemin, and most importantly, Yeonjun) as examples of artists who are solo but still part of a group are mentioned while ignoring the key aspect of all this: These groups, while technically active, aren't Enhypen level of active. They just aren't. Blackpink release like, one album every 100 years. BTS only started solo stuff when members were in army. Yeonjun (YEONJUN!!!!) was the most popular member for so long that they made content about it in which members are allowed to mock him a little bit for it (and it's hilarious) but also TXT aren't touring the world and appearing on EVERY single show and every single publication, like Enhypen are. Also, TXT are in term 2, their second contract. They are also On A Decline (MOAs please don't kill me, I'm one of you, I really love TXT). I hate to say this but I believe Belift when they say that solo pursuits would mess with the Enhypen schedules. I think it would be difficult to demonstrate exactly what I mean, but I will try.
Here is Enhypen schedule from October, 2025. This is 4 months after their last comeback, and 3 months before the one that came after.
Yes, this also includes events that they don't have to do anything for, like releases that were pre-planned or "extras" like Dark Moon related things. But I sincerely tried to pick an example of a relatively LESS busy month - compared to, for example, February 2026, a month after their last comeback.
Fansigns, online events, magazine releases, award shows... it just keeps going. They don't get to chill. They don't get to go and learn new incredible skills. They just simply don't. And while we all wish they had more time to rest, it's important to consider that even significantly less popular and busy idols only get a handful of "full days off". Being an idol is a busy life, and as the leader of Enhypen himself said: THAT IS A GOOD THING. Being busy is GOOD. Successful idols are busy.
Let me tell you what little I know about the music industry: Your career as an artist, even if extremely successful, if you're really, really lucky, will last a couple of years, maybe a decade. Only the tiniest, most impossible percentage will ever make it to last 2 decades or more. You need to make enough money and set up enough safety nets to be able to survive and live and exist after your inevitable decline. Idols know this. Idol companies know this. Solo acts are set up as part of this safety net, usually, later in idol careers. To put it bluntly: It is ridiculous and stupid to push a solo career while you are in the peak of your popularity with your group. Groups are more popular. There is more demand for groups. Idol industry thrives on making big groups because that means more pretty guys and girls for you, the idol fan, to fall in love with. It means a higher chance that this specific group will have a specific member that you will connect to perfectly and want to follow to the end of the world. Soloists CAN bring more money, but solo idols aren't a thing - people don't really debut as soloists, and for a good reason. I don't know if it's the industry or the culture, but groups also keep each other in check. I think the ass-kicking that occurs within a group would be huge shock to people. People really sincerely believe everyone is best friends within a group, but we have to remember that member popularity may affect outcomes like better terms for contracts, better opportunities for solo sponsorships, etc. In the end, it doesn't matter how well they get along, because they are also objectively competitors. Yes, the success of one member can elevate the group, but the groups will also be judged by their weakest member. Unlike western music groups, idol groups thrive on being seen as clean, perfect, good influence, very polite and friendly, and just overwhelmingly easy to work with. No one wants drama.
(As a side note - and this really is the sidest of the side notes, but I want to mention it: I don't think that the members (not of Enhypen, but in general) are great friends to each other. These are young guys who never even had a chance to develop a personality outside of a perfect persona that exists purely to please the fans. They are competitive people and they never learned how to bond with other adult human beings. Side note to a side note: I know for a fact that at least within some (VERY VERY POPULAR) groups where everyone looks like they are besties for life, the members are incredibly sad and lonely and seeking out friendship from outsiders. Don't ask me how I know. I'm just informing you if you are curious. Be empathetic because the glamorous life is not so glamorous when you have to live it.)
So, why would Heeseung leave in the height of their career, then?
Well... I don't know. No one knows. But I think it's safe to assume it WAS in fact his choice. The company probably had less than pure and kind motives to approve this wish, yes, but in the end, no conspiracy theory can fully cover the fact that Heeseung himself probably really did want to leave Enhypen. I imagine this conversation did not go nicely, not between Heeseung and the company, and also not between Heeseung and Enhypen. And this is where I start to speculate, very heavily, even more heavily than before: I think Heeseung was obviously not supposed to leave as he did. I mean, this isn't a secret, this is the exact thing that most fans are using to prove that this was a forced exit: Things got cancelled, postponed and overall chaotic and messy, in a way that seems to clash with the statement that this was a discussion that was ongoing for a long time. So why not at least finish the current promotion cycle? Why not at least finish the, what, 2 months left before their schedule clears again to a degree where he can slip out more cleanly?
DON'T KILL ME PLEASE but I think the reason is probably that the rest of Enhypen did not take this decision well.
Um, we're going from "PURE SPECULATION" to "downright delusion, please ignore me, I am just a grain of sand and my words carry no weight" territory. I am really just writing fanfic. You have been warned.
So I really did not understand why he'd leave now. I kept going between "but why would he leave right now and not just, idk, take hiatus? Why would HE make that choice?" and "Why would the company push him out right now? Are they stupid? This drama is a serious and permanent stain on both the group and the company, surely they aren't this stupid?". I kept ping-ponging between these because if I answered one, the other made no sense. If Heeseung wanted to leave so badly because he was exhausted (and he was, and that's fair enough), then there's a classic "He is going on hiatus" statement that makes the fans worry but keeps them at relative peace. And on the other hand, if the company wanted him to leave because his solo activies would interfere with Enhypen's schedule, then asking him to at least finish the comeback cycle and then announce his departure was the ONLY logical way. There has been a lot of idols who left their groups, but never without a scandal or an injury or a clear "this is a goodbye period". I just couldn't wrap my head around it. I kept thinking that the amount of incompetence involved in this is just too high, even if we consider high egos and high pressure environment.
And then I remembered my initial instinct: I remembered that my first thought was "Did something happen within the group?". Because, like, no one wants to think this - it's also obvious that no one did anything horrendeous enough to be kicked out of the COMPANY. But the only way I can understand both the suddeness and the severity of this is if I involve the third party back into the decision making: Enhypen.
Here is what I think happened: Heeseung wanted out, and company approved it, but they still had plans for the rest of the comeback cycle.
Then, as it got approved, they told the rest of Enhypen.
Here's someone who laid out the timeline better than I could have:
However, I disagree with the way that Engenes generally seem to view this. I really don't think there was ever a good time to tell Enhypen. As I said, their schedules are insanely busy as it is. They don't get long periods of time to process rough news. They just simply don't. They have to go on and show their best selves, almost every day.
This Engene thinks this is super cruel, but to me this seems almost the best possible outcome: They all disappeared for a while and had SOME time to contemplate what is going to happen to them. Cancelling an interview wouldn't have helped.
By the way, this interview is why I think Enhypen are mad at Heeseung more than they are sad. Again, fully just speculation zone.
They look angry and sad, every single one of them. Normally, they really are quite good at their job. I think they are the most excellent liars and sell the illusion well. The fact they all look this upset is meaningful, in my opinion.
I won't screenshot each separate frame but this video zooms in on their faces a bit better:
Just for the sake of my peace of mind, I do also want to share the opposing perspective:
But the thing is, my personal opinion is that they got into an argument. This hypothetical argument was probably bad enough that Belift decided that there is no point in trying to patch things up since Heeseung was leaving anyway. Again, not trying to stir drama or upset anyone, it's just what is logical to me, with my specific life view and experiences, so please ignore me if you disagree. As I said, if only considering the company and Heeseung, then the sudden departure makes NO sense to me.
But presumably, after the announcement, the tensions within the group were high. How would they not be? Let's consider again that they are a group, that this guy was their ace member, that their everything is formed around them being seven, that a "pure" group with no drama and no changes probably has better career chances. Let's consider that they probably know that they cannot last forever. Jungwon said this over and over. "This is an important time for us. When I look back, I think I will remember this because it really feel like we're on a good path as a team right now" - in January, 2026, for example. They knew they are either at the peak or at a sensitive moment where they are approaching a peak and really trying to see how far they can still go.
So, with the tensions being high, and the stakes being extremely high, I think the chance that the members fought with each other to the point that there was no point in fixing this is extremely high. This is completely personal, but if it was my teammate leaving in a situation like this, even with full empathy and understanding for their circumstances, I would be extremely, EXTREMELY, horrendously pissed.
I envy the Engenes who simply hate the company and see this as "Heeseung was cruelly torn away and removed from the group to cover up the scandals about the CEO, and the rest of Enhypen are extremely devastated and sad to lose their oldest hyung". But for me, just for me personally, I think it was Enhypen members who made the final decision to move on without Heeseung at this exact moment, because they want to start fixing this situation as soon as possible, and because being in a group schedule with a dead man walking is a depressing feeling.
This also would explain another small but important thing: If this was all clean and neat and they were super sad, I think they would more or less say so. "We're so sad that Heeseung is leaving, we really loved him and depended on him!" And that would also look good for the company. One of the only reasons I can think of why the company would NOT use the members to try and keep the peace in the fandom, is that they CAN'T use the members. And that could be because the members are sincerely too angry to say, on camera, "We are so excited to see what he comes up with on his own!" while smiling.
These are just my delusions, there is a thousand other explanations that I am probably not considering, etc. But just keep in mind that idols, while usually not exactly most street-smart, and not extremely high educated, aren't stupid. They know they have a limited time in this world of entertainment, that they will be replaced by a younger model sooner or later, completely inevitably. Anyone who threatens their success while the success is still growing, is doing something unreasonable and painful for everyone involved.
I wish sincere success both to Heeseung and the rest of Enhypen. I hope Heeseung finds what he was looking for. Maybe he will become a non-idol musician, like a full time producer or a performer that doesn't have to do the whole idol thing - he has people like that working in the same company with him, like El Capitxn or whatever.
And I hope Enhypen 2.0 blow our minds with their teamwork, their skill improvements, their presence and charisma, to the point we will forget Heeseung ever existed in Enhypen. I hope they still get the chances they deserve, and that this isn't a permanent stain on their career.
One more shoutout to @storkmuffin for helping me clear my thoughts. Hope you don't think I am insane after reading this xx
Finally, one more thing: I want to stress the fact that I think Belift fucked up horrendously on at least one account. Why are they treating fans like we are stupid? In what situation is this enough of an explanation, regardless of what actually happened? Building strong relationships and feeding delusions, only to act like we are the insane ones for being upset is cruel, plain and simple. Hire someone who can help you manage international fandoms. You made Enhypen for the world, not for the Korean audience. If only the Korean audience is moving on relatively peacefully, then you failed to communicate with the major part of the customer base.
theartofmadeline
germansingergirl
baratheonpilled
titsay
dailybridgerton
vaporwave
blakekathryn
gummygunk
pixelskylines
