Seunghan's Hiatus Sparks Heated Discussions: Will RIIZE’s Controversial Member Return?

Korean netizens are having mixed reactions about the possibility of RIIZE’s Seunghan’s return after 8 months.

In August last year, just before RIIZE’s debut, photos surfaced online showing someone believed to be Seunghan in a close embrace with a woman, sparking controversy.

In response, SM Entertainment stated, “Unauthorized photos of a RIIZE member’s private life are being posted on social networking services (SNS) and online communities. This is a clear violation of the law, and we will take legal action against any additional postings and distributions.”

Seunghan also issued an apology, saying, “I apologize for causing harm to the team, disappointing the members and the company due to my personal actions just before debut. It was a result of my carelessness, and I have reflected a lot on my past actions and behavior.”

RIIZE Seunghan (Photo : Daum)

Three months later, in November of the same year, Seunghan was embroiled in another controversy after a video of him smoking on the street as a minor and a conversation with TXT’s Soobin was released.

In response, RIIZE’s fandom criticized Seunghan’s behavior and even planned a truck protest demanding his withdrawal from the group.

Ultimately, SM announced Seunghan’s suspension from RIIZE activities. The agency stated, “The video was intentionally edited to cause misunderstandings, and such actions are clear violations of the law. We will take legal action against any additional postings and distributions.”

Seunghan again posted a handwritten apology on the fan community Weverse, saying, “I want to sincerely apologize. I am fully aware that my past reckless behavior has caused a lot of harm to many people.”

Letter (Photo : theqoo)

Since suspending his activities, Seunghan has not shared any updates. According to the individual trend index for boy groups released by Rankify for the fourth week of June, Seunghan ranked third behind fellow RIIZE members Wonbin and Anton, demonstrating his continued popularity. This raises questions about whether Seunghan will rejoin RIIZE.

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In fact, a topic about Seunghan having been in hiatus for 8 months have sparked intense debates on the Korean forum “theqoo”, with netizens having mixed reactions about the possibility of the male idol’s return. Below are some comments from netizens:

• “Wouldn’t it be considered withdrawal after this amount of time?”
• “I wish he could come back because he’s good at vocals and dancing”
• “It seems like he’s already living like a normal person”
• “It’s going well without him, so why bother with his return…?”
• “What the hell is going on? Please hurry up and make an official statement.”
• “RIIZE is doing well right now, so why bring in a problematic member?”

As the debate continues, the future of Seunghan in RIIZE remains uncertain. His controversies and the mixed opinions from fans and netizens highlight the complexities surrounding his potential return.