Heeseung Leaves ENHYPEN: What to Know About the K-Pop Group’s First Lineup Change
BELIFT LAB announced on March 10 that Heeseung will depart from ENHYPEN, making this the first lineup change for the K-pop group since its 2020 debut. The remaining six members will continue promoting as a group, while Heeseung stays signed to the label and prepares to launch a solo career.
The announcement was shared in a statement posted across ENHYPEN’s official channels.
Why Heeseung Is Leaving
According to BELIFT LAB, the decision followed extensive conversations about the group’s trajectory and Heeseung’s personal artistic ambitions.
“Through in-depth discussions with each of the members about the future they envision and the direction of the team, it became clear that Heeseung has his own distinct musical vision,” the company said.
The company emphasized that a long period of deliberation between the artist, the group and management preceded the announcement. BELIFT LAB framed the departure as something that evolved over time through dialogue among all parties involved, rather than a sudden move.
Heeseung will remain signed to BELIFT LAB as he prepares solo material, a detail that suggests the separation is amicable and that the label intends to support both paths forward.
Heeseung’s Message to Fans
After the announcement, Heeseung addressed ENGENE — ENHYPEN’s fanbase — directly.
“Thanks to the members with whom I shared countless emotions, and to ENGENE, who always filled every empty space with their support, I was able to take step after step toward a dream that once felt out of reach,” he wrote. “I am working hard on an album so I can meet you all again soon.”
A solo album is in the works, according to that message. BELIFT LAB has not released additional details about the project, including a timeline or title.
ENHYPEN Moves Forward as Six
Jake, Jay, Sunghoon, Sunoo, Jungwon and Ni-ki will continue promoting under the ENHYPEN name. No specific plans for upcoming releases or tours were announced at the time of the statement.
There were earlier hints the group had been looking ahead. In a February interview with Teen Vogue, member Sunghoon said the group was preparing for “an upcoming tour and also other activities that are lying ahead of us.” No official announcements had been made by BELIFT LAB at that time, and it remains unclear how the lineup change may affect those plans.
ENHYPEN’s Path from I-LAND to Global Charts
ENHYPEN’s origins trace back to the survival audition program I-LAND, which aired in June 2020. Heeseung was one of seven members selected through the competition show alongside Jungwon, Jay, Jake, Sunghoon, Sunoo and Ni-ki. The group officially debuted on Nov. 30, 2020, with the release of Border: Day One.
The departure arrived nearly two months after ENHYPEN released their seventh EP, The Sin: Vanish, in January, featuring the lead single “Knife.” The group had also concluded their Walk the Line world tour in late 2025, following their Coachella debut earlier that year, according to group release and tour records.
In the years since their debut, ENHYPEN charted on the Billboard Artist 100, Billboard 200 and Hot 100. The group accumulated streaming milestones across Spotify, iTunes and YouTube, and became the fastest K-pop act to reach one billion streams on Spotify.
Production of this article included the use of AI. It was reviewed and edited by a team of content specialists.
