Mark Lee Leaves NCT and SM Entertainment After 10 Years

Today is one of those days when the K-pop world seems to stand still. After months of speculation and an unusually emotional atmosphere during their recent performances, the news many feared has been confirmed: Mark Lee, the fundamental pillar and versatile member of multiple NCT units, is officially leaving the group and his agency, SM Entertainment.

Yesterday, April 3, 2026, the industry and the fandom received the surprise confirmation that the Korean-Canadian idol decided not to renew his 10-year exclusive contract. Below, we break down all the information from official sources, the future of the subunits, the reactions after the last concert, and the emotional farewell letters.

DRESS UP FOR THE COMEBACK! CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR EXCLUSIVE BTS CONCERT OUTFIT!!!

The Official Statement: SM Entertainment Confirms Mark Leaves NCT

The details regarding the length of Mark Lee’s contract had never been made public, making the announcement catch many by surprise. SM Entertainment issued an official statement confirming that Mark’s contract will expire on April 8, 2026, marking the end of his activities with both the agency and NCT.

Here is the full translation of the statement issued by SM Entertainment:

DRESS UP FOR THE COMEBACK! CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR EXCLUSIVE BTS CONCERT OUTFIT!!!

Official Statement from SM Entertainment:
“Hello, this is SM Entertainment.
We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the fans who always send NCT their unwavering support.
After a long period of deep and careful discussions with Mark regarding the direction of his future activities, and following adequate conversations between both parties, we have reached a mutual agreement to conclude his exclusive contract as of April 8. Consequently, Mark will conclude all of his activities as a member of NCT, including NCT 127 and NCT DREAM.
Since his debut in 2016 as part of NCT, Mark has demonstrated outstanding abilities not only in group promotions but also as a solo artist, showing remarkable activity over the past 10 years. We would like to convey our gratitude for the valuable time we have shared together, and we sincerely cheer on Mark as he leaves the team and takes a new leap forward.
Moving forward, NCT 127 plans to continue its activities with seven members: Johnny, Taeyong, Yuta, Doyoung, Jaehyun, Jungwoo, and Haechan. Meanwhile, NCT DREAM plans to continue its activities with six members: Renjun, Jeno, Haechan, Jaemin, Chenle, and Jisung.
We will continue to spare no effort in providing our full support for the activities of the NCT members, and we will do our utmost best for the fans who continue to love NCT without changing.
Thank you.”

The Signs: The NCT Dream Concert That “Felt Like a Funeral”

In light of this news, fans have begun to reexamine recent scenes that now take on a much more painful meaning. During NCT Dream’s recent solo concerts, the atmosphere was described as unusually heavy and emotional.

TAKE A LOOK AT OUR Shop AND FALL IN LOVE

Several members, including Mark himself, were seen crying inconsolably on stage. At the time, viewers reacted with concern on social media, commenting things like “What is going on?” or “The fans must be in shock.” Some even went as far as to describe the atmosphere by saying “the concert felt like a funeral.” Speculations about possible failed contract negotiations were already circulating, and with the official announcement, all those tears now have a clear explanation.

However, the support within the group is unwavering. Following the news, members like Jeno, Haechan, Jisung, and Doyoung took to fan communication platforms to share messages of comfort and express their total support for Mark Lee’s new beginning.

Mark’s Letter: An Acoustic Guitar Dream and a New Beginning

To say goodbye to his beloved Czennies and explain his decision, Mark Lee took to his personal Instagram account. In a long and deeply emotional handwritten letter, the rapper and dancer opened his heart about a dream he had harbored since before his debut and how he arrived at this difficult conclusion.

Here is the full translation of Mark’s letter:

“Hello, this is Mark.
Hello, Czennies…
I debuted as NCT U on April 9, 2016, and now that it is already April 2026, a full 10 years have truly passed… So much has happened in those 10 years; I’ve performed on so many stages and, above all, I feel like I’ve made so many memories. I know very well that there are Czennies who have liked me since the SM Rookies days, so if you include that time, it has actually been more than 10 years. How have these past ten-plus years been for you, Czennies…? I think I have truly, genuinely been nothing but happy. Now that 10 years have passed, I want to personally share with the Czennies—who have made me happy every single day without fail for such a long time—my new decision and the new chapter I have ahead, by writing it out myself by hand.
I know this may feel very sudden to everyone… But in fact, ever since my trainee days—or maybe even before that—I’ve always carried a dream in my heart. I dreamed of traveling around with just an acoustic guitar, busking on the streets, and I loved writing in English so much that I even wanted to become a writer. I was too young to fully understand that dream clearly or visualize it perfectly in my head, but because I loved music and the stage, I auditioned in Canada 14 years ago, and at SM I began my musical journey for the first time as part of NCT.
Because my ‘firsts’ began at SM and with NCT, I was able to get to know myself more and find the best version of myself. All I feel is gratitude. Through NCT, I feel like I’ve been able to experience the sky, the earth, the sea, and the mountains, all in the best possible way. After spending 10 years seeing and experiencing the world to its fullest and embarking on the best journey, I think I naturally began to wonder: what is the best dream I can possibly dream? What is the greatest work and purpose I can have, living my life as a person named Mark? And since this is the time when my 10-year contract is coming to an end, I awakened every sense I’d been carrying in my heart and thought about it for a long time. In the end, I found myself truly curious about what the exact, fully realized shape of that dream could be, and I wanted to dive in and devote myself to it properly. I think I’ve truly come to want to discover, clearly and for real, what my music—or my ‘fruit’—will be and how I can bring it to fruition in this world, and to make that happen no matter what.
As I talked a lot with each and every member, it got to the point where just thinking about it makes me tear up, because in the end, every single member, without exception, told me they support me. I will feel sorry for the rest of my life and, more than anything, I am grateful. I want to say once again a huge, huge ‘thank you’: to the older members who see me as their cute little brother, and to the younger members who see me as a leader. To all the members who, when making this decision, listened most closely to my worries, heard my heart out, thought about me, shared their opinions, and gave me nothing but meaningful and wonderful conversations: thank you so much and I love you. With the members I boarded the same ship with, we’ve made the best voyage over the past ten-plus years. And as someone who has always loved going into the water, now that I say I want to swim on my own, these are the members who are cheering on my deep dive, and they do it with love. I will also continue to support and love you from here on out.
After being chosen through a global audition in 2012, I want to thank everyone for a lifetime: from the training team to every instructor, everyone at the company, the managers, the directors, the executives, and the staff in every department, for having raised me and helped me grow into who I am today.
But… no matter how big a decision I’ve made, I truly understand that it doesn’t automatically ease everyone’s worries, concerns, and hardships just because it’s ‘a big challenge’ that I’m taking on alone. I know that announcing a major decision for a new chapter in my life cannot soften—through this handwritten letter alone—the change that could come as a huge shock and hurt for the Czennies who have loved me as ‘NCT’s Mark,’ for Mark’s fans, and for the general public. That’s why my heart feels so heavy. I think I spent an extremely long time worrying and thinking, over and over again, about what the most mature choice and the best way to go about it would be. I’m so sorry that the result of all those long deliberations has ultimately led to this situation, which may seem so inadequate, and my heart feels very heavy.
I thought that what I can do in this situation—especially for you, Czennies, to whom I am most grateful—is to convey my genuine and sincere feelings. And when I looked into my heart, I realized that at the end of that sincerity, more than anything else, what I most wanted to express was my gratitude. To every Czennie, and to everyone who has known me and supported me up until now, I want to say with all my strength: thank you. Truly, truly, thank you. Thank you for letting me live as the happiest person for the past 10 years. For helping me harbor a bigger dream of becoming a singer—something I used to keep timidly tucked away only inside my heart—and for helping me actually achieve that dream in reality, too. Because you sent me so much valuable and priceless love and support, it is truly thanks to that love and those memories that I was able to become the Mark I am today. Thank you, sincerely, for letting me live as someone who knows gratitude.
I will carry a grateful heart for SM, the NCT members, and the Czennies for the rest of my life.
So that when I greet you again in the future with a new side of myself I can be a Mark you can be proud of, I will do my absolute best—beyond my maximum effort—and I will work as hard as I can. Once again, thank you so much.”

Mark lee goodbye letter — A handwritten letter from Mark Lee

DRESS UP FOR THE COMEBACK! CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR EXCLUSIVE BTS CONCERT OUTFIT!!!

The decision of Mark Lee undoubtedly marks the end of a fundamental decade for the global expansion of K-pop and leaves an irreplaceable void in NCT. However, his brutal honesty, the validation from his bandmates, and the promise to return with a guitar and his own music show us that this is not a final goodbye to the artist, but simply the natural evolution of a talent that now needs to fly free.