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| ▲ Mark poses for photos at a press conference for NCT Dream's fifth full-length album, "Back to the Future," in Seoul in this July 14, 2025, file photo. (Yonhap) |
(LEAD) NCT member-contract termination
(LEAD) Mark leaves SM Entertainment after 10 years with NCT
(ATTN: UPDATES with statement from Mark in last 5 paras; CHANGES attribution in lead)
SEOUL, April 3 (Yonhap) -- Mark of K-pop boy band NCT will terminate his contract with SM Entertainment and leave the group, the artist and his agency said Friday.
The decision, effective next Wednesday, was made "after sufficient and deep discussions with Mark for a long time," the company said.
The artist made his debut in 2016 as part of NCT and has actively performed across the group's sub-units, including NCT 127 and NCT Dream.
In April last year, he also made his mark as a solo artist with his album "The Firstfruit."
"Mark has been a remarkable artist over the last 10 years, demonstrating outstanding abilities both as a group member and as a solo artist," SM said, adding it wishes the artist well on his new journey.
Later in the day, Mark shared a handwritten letter on Instagram, expressing his gratitude to fans and fellow members in what would be his final message as part of NCT.
"I know this may feel sudden to everyone," he wrote, explaining that while his time with NCT had given him some of the best experiences of his life, he decided to follow a long-held dream of traveling around performing music with his acoustic guitar and writing.
Mark thanked the members, who, he said, supported his decision "wholeheartedly," adding he felt "tearfully grateful and forever sorry" to them.
To his fans, he wrote: "You have made me the happiest person for the past 10 years. Because of you, I was able to dream bigger as a singer and make that dream come true."
He concluded the letter by pledging to "always be thankful to SM, the NCT members and NCTzens," using the name of the band's global fan base, and said he would do his best to return "with a better version of Mark" in the future.
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