Ten To Leave SM Entertainment But Remain With NCT And WayV
Just days after Mark Lee announced his departure from NCT and SM Entertainment, Ten of NCT and WayV has decided not to renew his contract with SM Entertainment, but will remain with the groups. His contract with SM Entertainment expires on Wednesday, April 8.
SM Entertainment wrote on WayV’s Weverse page, “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 ahead, we will maintain regular communication to explore options for TEN to join in WayV and NCT activities, as appropriate.”
On April 8, 2016, the Thai singer-dancer made her debut as NCT U, the first sub-unit of SM Entertainment’s 24-member super group NCT, alongside Jaehyun, Mark, Taeyong, and Doyoung. He has been a member of NCT U (Taeyong, Doyoung, Jaehyun, and Mark), the Chinese subunit WayV (Kun, Winwin, Xiaojun, Hendery, and Yangyang), and SuperM.
He has released two solo EPs: Ten (2024) and STUNNER (2025). His debut solo album reached No.No. 6 on the Japanese Oricon Albums Chart. His second mini-album topped the iTunes album chart in 13 cities, including Poland, Chile, Peru, and New Zealand.
In a press announcement, SM Entertainment emphasized Ten’s “distinctive artistic presence and breadth of talent” in both his group and solo work. They continued, “We sincerely appreciate the time we have shared together, and wish him all the best as he moves forward into a new chapter.”
As I approach my tenth anniversary, I find myself eager to take on new tasks, explore new opportunities, and discover new versions of myself. So, after much consideration and heartfelt discussions with the members and staff of SM, I’ve chosen to end my exclusive deal with the firm.
SM will always be my “home”, and I will forever be happy to say that I grew up at SM – especially as the first Thai artist to do so!
I am glad for the opportunity to learn, perform, and grow as an artist at SM. It is something I will cherish.
I’d like to genuinely thank everyone who has been a part of my journey over the last ten years. Thank you to my members and SM staff for their support, and most importantly, thank you to my fans – my Czennies and WayZenNies – who have always loved and supported me. It means more to me than I can convey verbally.
Moving ahead, I plan to continue my efforts as Ten of NCT and WayV. At the same time, I’m delighted to show you new aspects of “TEN” and to grow as a solo artist in this next stage.
Ten’s solo endeavors, like those of many other K-pop singers, will no longer be managed by SM Entertainment, but he will continue to work with them as a member of the NCT and WayV groups. Many musicians have adopted this procedure, including the entire BLACKPINK group, SHINee’s Taemin, EXO’s D.O., 2NE1’s CL, Pentagon’s KINO, and others.