On Sept. 4, 2023, the seven-membered Korean boy group RIIZE made their smashing debut with the single “Get a Guitar.” But just a short two months later, then 20-year-old member Hong Seunghan went on an indefinite hiatus. The reason? Leaked photos of him kissing his girlfriend — from before his debut.
Dating may very well be the biggest taboo in the K-pop industry. Idols are expected to be solely devoted to their fans — a product hand-tailored or manufactured just for supporters. For example, earlier this year, a singer named Karina from the group “aespa” had to release a handwritten apology after it was revealed that she was dating an actor. The two broke up shortly after.
Such “scandals” and breakups are far from uncommon, indicating how some fans in Korea see dating as an unacceptable betrayal or an inappropriate distraction from the job of an idol.
Despite the fact that the photos were taken when Seunghan was still just a trainee, a chunk of their fanbase (called BRIIZE) was outraged nonetheless. Some fans in Korea and China demanded he be kicked out of RIIZE, claiming that he was unfit to be in the public eye and that his actions had tarnished the rest of the group’s reputation.
Seunghan remained on hiatus for 10 months, during which the rest of RIIZE operated as a six-membered group. During this time, supporters of Seunghan would leave encouraging comments on the group’s social media posts, reaffirming that “RIIZE is 7.” The rest of the fanbase expressed disapproval at the group’s management company, SM Entertainment, upset that the singer would be on a months-long break for something so trivial.
Then, on Oct. 11, RIIZE’s official social media accounts announced that Seunghan would rejoin the group in November after nearly a year of radio silence about his activity. A translation of the statement said that the group’s next chapter would be “more meaningful with all 7 members.” Fans around the globe rejoiced at the news… but not everyone was in a celebratory mood.
A handful of Korean fans packed the space in front of SM’s headquarters with hundreds of funeral wreaths in protest of Seunghan’s return. Some even recorded videos of themselves dancing in front of the wreaths as if to mock the idol. Fellow band member Wonbin posted a message online in defense of Seunghan, saying that they had “countless discussions with Seunghan and the company over a long period of time” and “considered everything thoroughly together.”
But just two days later, SM shockingly went back on the announcement and declared that Seunghan had made the decision to permanently depart from RIIZE. In a handwritten apology posted to social media, the idol wrote, “I sincerely do not wish for the relationship between RIIZE and BRIIZE… to deteriorate because of me. It breaks my heart to see fans, who should be united in love for RIIZE, fighting because of me.”
What SM didn’t predict was that Seunghan’s departure would spark unprecedented backlash. Outraged fans immediately called for a boycott, unfollowing all of RIIZE’s official social media accounts and refusing to stream the group’s music or content. Their pages have lost hundreds of thousands of followers, and SM’s stock has plummeted. A Change.org petition demanding Seunghan’s return received hundreds of thousands of signatures within days. It now sits at more than 312,000. Hashtags in support of the star, such as “RIIZE Is 7,” “Bring Back Seunghan,” “Justice For Seunghan” and “SM Supports Bullying” started trending.
Seunghan became the second most mentioned K-pop idol on X, despite having only been active for two months in 2023. The situation also got loads of global coverage from international news outlets, including NBC and Billboard. After global fans reached out to their local K-pop stores, several joined the boycott and announced that they would not restock RIIZE’s albums or merch. Counter-protestors in Korea demonstrated outside of SM too. Fans sent flowers, banners and even trucks and airships displaying supportive messages for Seunghan to combat the image of funeral wreaths outside the building.
What may be most surprising of all, though, is the way other K-pop fandoms, who are known to be extremely divisive and hostile towards each other, came together to support Seunghan. Each post called out a different fanbase and wrote, “Let’s support #RIIZE’s fandom BRIIZE, who are going through this difficult time right now. Regardless of the reason for removing a member, let’s show solidarity.”
The Seunghan situation sets a precedent — one that holds idols to an impossible standard, one where companies appease the fans who demand perfection. BRIIZEs expressed anger that SM would give in and comply with the wishes of a loud domestic minority while dismissing the vast majority of fans overseas. Considering SM’s desire for globalization and the fact that international fans are their biggest source of income, their disregard for fans’ wishes is frustrating.
On Nov. 14, SM announced that Seunghan would make his debut as a solo artist in 2025. The statement was… divisive, to say the least. Some fans have welcomed him back and are eager for his career to continue. Others continue to boycott, speculating that SM rushed the announcement of Seunghan’s solo career to pacify global fans and bring an end to the boycott. Many also found it strange that they included an English translation of their statement. This is uncommon and may hint at the fact that SM is feeling some sort of pressure from the boycotts.
The rift between “OT6” (supporters of a six-membered RIIZE) and “OT7” fans is indicative of a cultural difference. The K-pop industry’s entire business model is based off of building and exploiting parasocial relationships. For fans in Korea and China, this sort of behavior has always been the norm. But as K-pop has grown into a much more global phenomenon, fans from all around the world have become increasingly fed up with the mistreatment of idols and absurd expectations of perfection. The way that Seunghan was bullied out of his group for being a normal teenager acted as a tipping point for many of them.
Ultimately, what happens with Seunghan in the future remains to be seen, but his story has undoubtedly changed the K-pop industry. And as fans continue to clash, SM has a choice. Do they continue to appease the demands of a small number of domestic fans? Or do they reinstate Seunghan as a member of RIIZE and get the massive global group they’ve always wanted?