SM Entertainment's new boy group, RIIZE, has erased traces of member Seunghan amid a 'privacy controversy.'
On the 27th, a video was uploaded to RIIZE's official online channel, capturing the members' debut preparation process from August. RIIZE debuted in September and is still a rookie group with less than 100 days since their debut.
In the released video, scenes of the debut process of the six members—Seongchan, Eunseok, Wonbin, Sohee, Anton, and Shouta—were shown. However, any trace of Seunghan, who announced an 'indefinite suspension of activities,' was conspicuously absent. Even in scenes shot before his activity suspension, moments of Seunghan dancing, participating in debut showcases, etc., were entirely deleted.
Not only was his voice muted, but scenes featuring all six members together were also non-existent. In group greeting scenes, where Seunghan presumably stood, the video was edited to show an unavoidable scene with the remaining five members.
Netizens reacted, saying, "The in-house content team must have worked hard to edit this," "Removing the sound is really amazing," "Even fixing the choreography, it must be tough for the other members."
On the 22nd, SM Entertainment conveyed apologies and reflections from Seunghan regarding the privacy-related issues. He faced controversies such as 'smoking in public,' 'leakage of careless remarks video,' and 'leakage of a kiss photo with an ex-girlfriend.'
SM announced that due to Seunghan feeling mental burden and responsibility, he decided to 'indefinitely suspend activities,' and RIIZE will continue as a 6-member group without him.
Seunghan's situation is described as an indefinite suspension of activities rather than withdrawal. However, even in the highlights of RIIZE's official social network services, Seunghan's posts have been deleted. The highlights of the remaining six members are still intact.
This has led some to interpret that the 'erasure of traces' of Seunghan has begun, and many are accepting it as a fact given his absence in the recent official online channel video.
<Photo=RIIZE SNS>
<Translated by=Gawon Park(Dispatch)>
