After 10 years of being the most recognisable face of the global K-pop group NCT, Mark Lee has officially announced his departure. In a move that has shocked the K-pop industry, it has been confirmed that Mark Lee will be leaving NCT and his agency, SM Entertainment, from April 8, 2026.
Mark Lee is a Canadian artist who is known for his incredible work and for being a prominent part of the K-Pop group NCT. He had been a member of almost every NCT subunit, including NCT 127, NCT DREAM, and even the supergroup SuperM.
The singer took to his Instagram to share handwritten letters expressing his immense gratitude and to announce his retirement from the group.
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The emotional handwritten note by Mark Lee started with him addressing the 'czennies', the nickname for the NCT fandom. He then said, "I debuted with NCT U on April 9, 2016, and now that it's April 2026, ten whole years have already passed. during those ten years, so many things happened, we performed on so many stages, and most of all, I think we made countless memories together."
Talking about his dream since his trainee days, Mark wrote, "I wanted to walk around busking on the streets with just an acoustic guitar, and I loved writing in English so much that I even dreamed of becoming a writer."
He also added on to say, "I was too young to fully understand and clearly picture that dream back then, but because I loved music and performing, I auditioned in Canada 14 years ago, and started my musical path at SM, beginning with NCT."
Talking about the decision he had to take, he wrote, "As my 10-year contract comes to an end, I awakened all the senses I had kept inside me and thought deeply for a long time. eventually, I became curious about what the complete and true form of that dream really looks like, and I felt a strong desire to fully dive into it."
Thanking his elder and younger members, Mark expressed gratitude for the way the team supported his decisions. He said, "To the older members who see me as their cute younger brother, and to the younger ones who see me as a leader, I want to say thank you again, so, so much. To all the members who listened closely to my concerns, understood my heart, thought about me, shared their opinions, and had such meaningful conversations with me, I'm truly thankful and I love you all. "
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Soon after, an official statement was also released by the agency SM Entertainment that read, "After a long period of in-depth discussions with Mark regarding the direction of his future activities and following adequate conversations between both parties, we came to a mutual agreement to conclude his exclusive contract as of April 8. Accordingly, Mark will end all NCT activities, including NCT 127 and NCT DREAM."
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