Seunghan, a former member of boy band Riize who recently debuted as a solo artist, has sparked controversy again after mentioning his famous friend during a video call with fans.
Seunghan debuted as a solo artist on July 31, 2025, under the stage name XngHan, with the mini album “Waste No Time.” He began promoting as a solo artist after months of hiatus.
During the call, a fan asked him if he could name a celebrity he’s close to, saying, “Can you tell me a famous friend you’re close to?” Seunghan replied, “I don’t have many friends… Riku?
The fan added, “So who should I see when you’re not promoting?”
The fan didn’t receive a response to his question about which artist he’d recommend instead, and Seunghan clearly didn’t understand the question, which seemed vague and ambiguous.
Korean netizens were divided over Seunghan’s mention of NCT’s Wish member Riku.
The reason for this split is due to Seunghan’s previous involvement in scandals related to the abuse and exploitation of his girlfriend, which led to his removal from his group Riize.
SM Entertainment officially announced Seunghan’s withdrawal from Riize in October 2024 after videos and photos of him before his debut were leaked. Although his agency had announced his return with the group in October, the backlash, including threatening messages and funeral bouquets, from Korean fans led Seunghan to share an apology message and announce his withdrawal.
- “People don’t like it…”
- “People are exaggerating… It’s not like he committed a crime… Why doesn’t he mention someone when a fan asks him?”
- “He really doesn’t have common sense…”
- “They may have passed each other at the concert, but mentioning him is different.”
- “Aiju…”
- “He didn’t just leave the group, he left because of a controversy… Who would want to be with him…”
- “Of course they don’t like it… Who would want to be with someone involved in the hotel controversy?”
- “I like Rico and I don’t care.”
- “Didn’t we see them all together at the SM concert?”
- “Who would want to be called their friend after everything that happened?”
Meanwhile, Seunghan held an online podcast, which turned into a full-fledged karaoke session lasting nearly four hours, performing 294 songs.
