Riize member Seunghan has decided to leave the boy band again after a wave of backlash from fans following the announcement of his return.

Wizard Production, SM Entertainment's production team in charge of Riize, apologized to fans for the controversy and confusion and officially announced Seunghan's departure in a press release on Sunday, just two days after announcing that he would be returning to the band after a yearlong hiatus.


Seunghan came under fire as soon as he debuted with Riize in September last year when personal videos and photos from his trainee days were leaked online. The leaked content depicted him engaging in underage smoking and intimate behavior with a girl.

"We sincerely apologize for causing great pain and confusion to Riize's fan base, Briize, with the announcement of Seunghan's return," the agency said.

"We prioritized the agency's stance rather than the precious time that Riize and Briize shared together, and the support that Briize has provided, which was the biggest driving force behind the growth achieved by Riize's six members."

The agency initially decided to allow Seunghan's return, believing that his repentance and growth as part of the team would bring greater happiness to both the artist and fans.

"After much deliberation, we decided to allow Seunghan's return," the agency said. "However, after reflecting on the opinions and reactions of fans following the announcement of his return, we realized that our decision had only caused more confusion and pain to fans."

The agency added that it was Seunghan's decision to leave the group.

Seunghan temporarily left the group in November last year. When news of Seunghan’s potential return was announced, Riize fans expressed their opposition by sending wreaths to SM Entertainment's headquarters in Seongdong District, Seoul.

BY YOON SEUNG-JIN [yoon.seungjin@joongang.co.kr]