Former NCT member Mark celebrated his birthday with fans through a livestream that began at midnight on Sunday, August 2, 2026. During the broadcast, the Canadian-born singer updated viewers about his current activities, including new music he has been making. He also showed several recent photographs and spoke about the temporary birthday cafe organized by fans. Mark hinted that he had sent something to the location because supporting the event was important to him.
aww happy birthday mark lee 🥹😭 pic.twitter.com/0agAtFX8VS
— ٰ (@joyfularchives) August 1, 2026
He joked that he would like to visit a birthday cafe without warning one day and told fans not to lower their guard in the future. “One day I’d like to visit the birthday cafe as a surprise. Please don’t let your guard down every year,” he said jokingly. The birthday livestream came after a difficult period for the artist’s online reputation. On June 23, 2026, photos appeared online showing the 27-year-old in a vintage shirt with a Confederate flag and the word “Virginia.” Many fans and users criticized the clothing choice because of the flag’s racist and white supremacist history. Following the controversy, Mark apologized through an official statement from Upper Room, the independent label he self-founded.
Former NCT member Mark Lee was spotted wearing a confederate flag t-shirt. pic.twitter.com/WP92OQBeRW
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) June 23, 2026
Mark left both NCT and SM Entertainment in April 2026 and founded Upper Room in June 2026. Meanwhile, his former group, NCT 127, is preparing to release their seventh album, “BLINGY,” on August 24, 2026. The project will mark the group’s tenth anniversary and their first full-group album in about two years. Taeyong and Jaehyun have completed military service, while Doyoung and Jungwoo are still serving. As a result, the project will feature members Johnny, Taeyong, Yuta, Jaehyun, and Haechan.
