RIIZE‘s Seunghan has issued yet another apology following his recent controversy. On November 22, KST, SM Entertainment announced that Seunghan would be suspended from RIIZE‘s activities due to the controversy surrounding his personal life.
The announcement stated that the idol would be indefinitely excluded from participating in RIIZE‘s activities. SM Entertainment expressed, “Seunghan sincerely apologizes and deeply reflects on the disappointment and confusion caused to the team, members, and fans due to issues related to his personal life. Seunghan felt a burden and a sense of responsibility, and after careful consideration, he made the decision that he believed to be in the best interest of the team. He expressed his intention to suspend his activities, and we respected his decision and consequently suspended his activities indefinitely.“
Earlier this week, Seunghan found himself embroiled in yet another controversy surrounding his private life. A live stream video from his private social media account was leaked, leading to dissatisfaction among K-netizens.
Seunghan was seen badmouthing another idol and casually mentioning a female idol as if they were close. Additionally, another video surfaced, showing Seunghan smoking on the streets. This is not the first time Seunghan has been in the spotlight due to his controversial personal life.
In August, alleged pre-debut photos of Seunghan and his suspected girlfriend at a hotel went viral online.
Despite the controversy, Seunghan continued his group activities after posting an apology on the group’s social media page.
On November 22, Seunghan released a handwritten apology, expressing his sincere regret.
Korean netizens had various reactions to Seunghan‘s apology. Some commented, “Even when writing an apology letter at school, people make an effort to write clearly and neatly. It’s ridiculous that some are saying it’s unfair to criticize him for looking insincere. In reality, you always write better when apologizing, even to your mom or in your diary,” “It’s evident that the apology is poorly written though,” “It’s not enough that he’s facing criticism for his handwriting, but if he had written it neatly, he should have used lined paper. He could have asked for help from staff members to write the letter properly. I feel like he would have garnered some sympathy if he had written the letter sincerely and correctly,” “Considering the impact of the controversy on the entire team and the company, I don’t think it’s excessive to suspend his activities indefinitely,” “I understand that he made a mistake, but apart from that, I hope the leaker is identified and punished,” “If he is suspending his activities indefinitely, does that mean he will return to the group once things calm down?” and “He should just leave the group.”
Despite this latest controversy, Seunghan‘s future with RIIZE remains uncertain, and only time will tell whether he will be able to make a comeback.