RIIZE Seunghan’s Return? A Look At SM Entertainment’s Past With Idol Hiatuses
Since November 2023, RIIZE‘s Seunghan has been on hiatus following several invasions of privacy.
Many fans have been eagerly awaiting his return and taking steps to let SM Entertainment know of their desires, including ongoing protests. Many may not know that Seunghan’s hiatus is not entirely unique in that SM has placed idols on “indefinite” hiatuses without significant updates on multiple occasions.
For example, several members of Super Junior have had unclear hiatus situations occur, like former member Kim Kibum.
Kim Kibum was a debut group member, surprising netizens when he was not included in promotions for Super Junior’s third album, Sorry Sorry. SM Entertainment finally released a statement letting fans know he was still a member and was just focusing on acting at the time.
In 2010, official notice of Kim Kibum’s indefinite hiatus from Super Junior was given, and the idol left SM Entertainment and the group in 2015 without resuming activities.
In 2009, Kangin began a hiatus related to his DUI case that did not end until 2012 with the release of Sexy, Free & Single. His second DUI offense occurred in 2016, and he remained on hiatus until he departed from Super Junior in 2019.
He is still signed to SM Entertainment but has not had any entertainment activities besides his YouTube channel for the past six years.
Finally, there is Sungmin, who is still technically a member of Super Junior. However, he has not had any activities with the group since 2014, after his marriage announcement and wedding timing upset fans.
Most recently, there was ex-NCT‘s Lucas, whose gaslighting and cheating scandal resulted in a hiatus from August 2021 to May 2023, when his departure from NCT and WayV was announced. His hiatus continued until recently, when he announced his first solo single, scheduled for release on April 1.
LUCAS 루카스 The 1st Single 〖Renegade〗
➫ 2024.4.1 6PM KST#LUCAS #루카스 #Renegade #LUCAS_Renegade pic.twitter.com/kzkTWFPeoK
— LUCAS (@lucas_official) March 10, 2024
Seunghan’s hiatus has lasted around five months, and there is evidence that he will not be included in the upcoming RIIZE’s comeback. However, there are differences in Seunghan’s case that may make a difference in his fate.
For one, his hiatus is not related to a criminal offense. Secondly, RIIZE fans have actively continued to ask for his return and have taken direct action to see that their demands are met.
While this support comes mostly from international fans who saw no issues with his “scandals,” they make up a big enough majority that any company wishing to continue its expansion into places outside of Korea must consider their feelings. And very rarely do international stars have their careers halted by the sort of scandals Seunghan was involved in.
With fans showing continued support loudly, only time will tell if and when Seunghan will return to the group.
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