ENHYPEN’s Heeseung Announces Departure; Overseas Fans’ Protests Paralyze National Pension Service Operations

ENHYPEN member Heeseung officially declared his transition to a solo artist on March 10, sparking strong backlash from fans both in South Korea and abroad. Overseas fans flooded the National Pension Service (NPS), HYBE’s major shareholder, with protest calls, resulting in the paralysis of the agency’s administrative operations.

On March 10, ENHYPEN’s agency, Billliephop, released an official statement. The company stated, “We had in-depth discussions about each member’s vision for the future and the group’s direction, and during that process, we confirmed Heeseung’s clear musical aspirations, leading us to decide to respect his choice.” The company added that this move would provide “a new opportunity for both the group ENHYPEN and solo artist Heeseung to make further progress.”

Heeseung formally announced his departure through a handwritten letter. He wrote, “The six years I spent with the group were filled with moments so profound and precious they are beyond words. After much consideration, I have made this difficult decision to present a better version of myself to my fans by following the path suggested by the company.”

ENHYPEN is a group that gained global popularity after debuting in 2020 through a survival show. With Heeseung’s departure, the group will continue as a six-member unit consisting of Jungwon, Jay, Jake, Sunghoon, Sunoo, and Ni-ki.

The National Pension Service became the focal point of fan protests. Kim Sung-ju, the chairman of the National Pension Service, disclosed on Facebook on the 18th that the International Pension Support Center had been paralyzed last week. He explained, “A sudden influx of calls from overseas temporarily halted counseling services, and approximately 1,500 emails were received within two hours.”

Overseas fans urged others through social media to protest to the National Pension Service regarding Heeseung’s departure, prompting many fans to call the center’s counseling hotline. They questioned the agency about whether it was aware of the damage this decision would cause to market value and whether HYBE had been informed in advance about his departure.

Chairman Kim Sung-ju clarified the role and limitations of the National Pension Service. He stated, “Although we invest in numerous companies, we do not interfere in their management or personnel decisions. Naturally, we also do not get involved in the formation or member selection of K-pop groups.” He added that the International Pension Support Center is responsible for providing pension support to foreign workers in South Korea and Koreans working abroad, noting that this incident caused significant inconvenience for those calling for pension consultations.

As of the third quarter of last year, the National Pension Service held a 7.5% stake in HYBE. HYBE’s major shareholders are founder Bang Si-hyuk (31.6%), Netmarble (9.4%), and the National Pension Service (7.5%).

Chairman Kim added, “Although it was just an incident, it gave us an opportunity to reconsider what role the National Pension Service actually plays. Moving forward, we will continue to manage the public’s valuable retirement funds steadily while maintaining a strong sense of responsibility regarding our social impact.”