I wasn’t quite old enough to experience the sadness that many fans felt when Zayn Malik left One Direction eleven years ago. However, I now know at least a piece of the heartbreak those fans who loved the group as a whole must have felt, because a member of one of my favorite bands has announced he is leaving, while the rest of the members carry on without him.Â
This member is none other than Lee Heeseung of Enhypen from BELIFT LAB, a subunit of Hybe Entertainment. Enhypen is a globally popular K-pop boy group that has recently gained traction in the U.S and has obtained fans from all over the world in the last six years of being together. That is why it was so shocking to fans when the company announced on March 10, 2026, that the eldest and most experienced member would be leaving to pursue a solo career at the height of Enhypen’s success as a group.Â
For fans of K-pop and Enhypen, word spread fast on social media, and now it seems to be anything anyone remotely within the fandom can talk about. Media outlets are comparing his leaving to Zayn Malik’s and the One Direction split, and I do admit that I see many parallels. Fans are also wondering why he cannot just stay within the group and pursue his solo activities like other groups under the same company have done. Billboard reported on the matter and gave a more in-depth look at why the group decided to part ways, but for fans, nothing will ever come close to the seven-member group they once were, especially when everything is so fresh.Â
To give a little background on the group, Enhypen debuted almost six years ago on November 30, 2020. They were formed through a survival show called I-Land. The competition lasted about 113 days, with 23 male contestants present at the start, and by the end, we had the seven members that made up Enhypen: Lee Heeseung, Jay Jongseong Park, Sim Jaeyun (Jake), Park Sung-hoon, Kim Sunoo, Yang Jung-Won, and Nishimura Riki (Ni-ki).Â
Enhypen has quite a unique concept in K-pop, and combines supernatural elements, such as vampires and immortal beings, within their catchy pop songs and dances. They are agreed upon by many to be some of the best dancers in their generation, with an overarching lore behind much of their early albums, that has certainly evolved but is still relevant today. If you get the chance, I would recommend listening to some of their songs, such as: Fever, Given-Taken (their debut song), Fatal Trouble, Drunk-Dazed, Moonstruck, Chaconne, and so much more!Â
All members of the group were quite young when they debuted, the oldest being only 19 at the time, and the youngest a mere 13. They have had so much pressure on them as young people in an industry that can be notoriously tough, but their music spoke to so many people, and their concepts were unique and told a story beyond just the song and dance portrayed to the media. I have not been into K-pop as a whole for very long, and I really only dabbled before listening to Enhypen. They are the group that made me care beyond just a simple listen, and I feel so lucky that I got to go to their concert in my junior year of high school while they were still together with all seven members.
I am very grateful for the joy and comfort that their music brought me throughout middle and high school — although I will deeply miss seeing all seven together, I also know that sometimes change is inevitable. As of right now, it seems they decided on this outcome as a group; it must have been the right one for all members, including Heeseung. We may never know what truly happened, if it was a forced leave of absence, or by choice. However I do know that their care for each other and the fans has always shone through, and I am eager to see what will unfold in all of their careers in the years to come.