NCT singer Ten will leave South Korean label SM Entertainment, but will remain a member of both NCT and Chinese sub-unit WayV.
The announcement came today (April 6), via Weverse, with the label writing: “Following careful and extensive discussions regarding Ten’s future direction, we have reached a mutual understanding to conclude his exclusive contract with SM Entertainment, effective April 8.”
They added: “Moving forward, we will continue to stay in close communication to explore opportunities for Ten to participate in WayV and NCT activities, where possible.”
The Thai-born K-pop singer went on to address the news with fans in a letter shared on his Instagram story in Korean, English, and Thai, writing: “As I approach my 10th anniversary, I’ve found myself wanting to take on new challenges, explore new possibilities, and discover new versions of myself.”
He said that the decision came “after a lot of thought and many heartfelt discussions with the members and the staff at SM”.
NCT and WayV’s TEN to leave SM Entertainment, per statement from the company:
“Following careful and extensive discussions regarding TEN's future direction, we have reached a mutual understanding to conclude his exclusive contract with SM Entertainment, effective April 8. Moving… pic.twitter.com/ocqTCxIrEL
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) April 6, 2026
As he thanked the label, his fellow members and fans for their support on his journey, he affirmed that he “will continue [his] activities as Ten of NCT and WayV” while he prepares to showcase “new sides of ‘Ten’ and to evolve in new ways as a solo artiste in this next chapter”.
Ten debuted in 2016 as a member of NCT U, a sub-unit of NCT, as the first Thai artist to debut under the label. He is also a member of WayV, the China-based sub-unit of the K-pop group that debuted in 2019.
They initially debuted as a seven-member group, though member Lucas Wong left WayV and NCT in May 2023 after an extended hiatus.
Wong went on hiatus in August 2021 after a South Korean netizen claiming to be his ex-girlfriend accused him of gaslighting her. Following the original post, a Chinese netizen had also come forward with similar allegations, claiming that the singer had been cheating on both users at the same time.
Lucas officially left both projects in May 2023, but would remain signed under SM Entertainment, with the label saying that the singer was “planning on showing his performance through a wide variety of individual works from now on”.
On April 3, SM Entertainment announced that NCT’s Mark will leave both the K-pop group and the label, sending shockwaves across the fandom and K-pop community.