Riize’s Wonbin asked for fans' support and understanding regarding suspended member Seunghan's return to the team.
“I’ve decided to share my thoughts on Seunghan’s return to prevent more confusion to Briize (fandom name),” Wonbin took to the fan community platform Weverse on Sunday to share.
“We’ve had many discussions with Seunghan and the company (SM Entertainment) over a long period. Please understand that the members have been deeply contemplating this situation. There is no Riize without Briizes," Wonbin posted, asking for the fans' continued support.
Wizard Production, SM Entertainment’s production team in charge of Riize, announced Friday that Seunghan would gradually participate in team schedules starting in November. He had been suspended from all activities indefinitely due to personal controversies about 10 months ago.
“I’ve been thinking about whether I could ever perform on stage again after disappointing so many people. During that time, the members reached out to me again. I’m truly grateful for the opportunity,” Seunghan shared in a handwritten letter posted to Weverse on Friday.
However, some fans do not seem to be welcoming Seunghan’s return.
Fans have sent funeral wreaths to SM Entertainment’s headquarters in Seoul with messages such as "Hong Seunghan Out," "Remove Hong Seunghan" and "Riize is Forever Six" to protest the return.
On Sunday, fans began a truck protest.
“Riize has reached milestones as a group of six members. In the hearts of the majority of fans, Riize consists of six members, and there is no place for Hong Seunghan to return,” flashed an electronic billboard mounted on the truck.
Riize, SM Entertainment's first new boy group in three years, consists of seven members -- Anton, Shotaro, Eunseok, Sungchan, Wonbin, Seunghan and Sohee.
Its debut physical single “Get A Guitar,” released in September last year, sold over a million copies and gained significant popularity.
However, controversy arose when personal photos of Seunghan kissing a woman in bed surfaced online in August last year before the group’s debut.
SM suspended his activities in November when more photos of Seunghan smoking underage were leaked, leading to a further backlash.
