Some Korean RIIZE Fans Sent Over 1000 Funeral Flower Wreaths To SM After Their Decision To Include Seunghan In Group’s Future Activities
As RIIZE member Seunghan, who had been embroiled in a private life controversy, prepares to return, some k-fans have staged protests in front of SM Entertainment’s headquarters, but the company has maintained a silent and unresponsive stance.
On the 12th of October,the korean news outlet Sports Kyunghyang reported that they attempted to contact SM Entertainment regarding Seunghan’s return but received no response. Fans, in opposition to Seunghan’s return, sent funeral wreaths to SM in support of a six-member RIIZE, yet SM has not released any official statement.
On the afternoon of the 11th, photos of about 1,000 funeral wreaths sent by some RIIZE fans to SM’s headquarters spread across various online communities. The banners on the wreaths read, “Support RIIZE as 6 members,” “Seunghan out,” “Seunghan, leave,” and “Oppose Seunghan’s return to RIIZE.”
Some Fans are also planning a truck protest starting on the 13th, with messages such as, “If you love Seunghan so much, don’t put him in RIIZE, put him in your family registry,” “Breeze (RIIZE fandom) won’t hold your hand,” and “Seunghan’s controversy is stronger than soda, so I won’t drink it.”
Many online communities have seen an influx of some fans criticizing Seunghan’s past behavior despite it being a pre-debut matter.
Additionally, some fans are frustrated that after Seunghan’s year-long hiatus, the group had finally settled into a stable six-member structure. They question SM’s decision to push for a return to a seven-member formation, even at the risk of controversy.
On the international fans’ side, some are planning to counter protest with their own trucks in support of Seunghan’s return. They’re also criticizing the k-fans who have chosen to oppose his return.
On the 11th, Seunghan posted a handwritten letter on the fan communication platform Weverse. In the letter, he expressed regret, stating, “When the pre-debut photos were revealed, I was disappointed in myself and felt regret. During that time, the members reached out to me again. It must have been a difficult decision for them, and I’m only filled with gratitude and guilt.”
Around the same time, SM Entertainment issued an official statement, saying, “Seunghan has acknowledged that his past actions were wrong and took nearly a year off from activities. After thorough discussions, we concluded that the next chapter of RIIZE, which we had meticulously planned since before debut, will be most meaningful with all seven members together, and thus we decided on Seunghan’s return to the team.”
What do you think of this?
Source: A
