Mark Lee shares personal letters following his departure from SM Entertainment and NCT

Hello, this is Mark.

Hello, Czennies…

I debuted as NCT U on April 9, 2016, and now that it’s already April 2026, a full 10 years have truly passed… So much has happened over those 10 years—I’ve performed on so many stages, and above all, I feel like I’vemade 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 the past ten-plus years been for you, Czennies…? I think I’ve truly, truly been nothing but happy. Now that 10 years have passed, I want to personally share with Czennies—who have made me happy every single day without fail for such a long time—my new decision and the new chapter 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 picture 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 come to know myself more and to find the very best version of myself. All I feel is gratitude. Through NCT, it feels like I’ve been able to experience the sky, the land, the sea, and the mountains all in the greatest way. After spending 10 years seeing and experiencing the world at its fullest and going 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 might be—and I wanted to dive in and devote myself to it properly. I think I’ve come to truly want to find, clearly and for real, what my music—or my “fruit”—will be and how I can bring it into 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’ll feel sorry for the rest of my life, and more than anything, I’m 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, in 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, 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’m saying I want to swim, these are the members who are cheering on my deep dive—with love, no less. I will also keep on supporting and loving 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 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 hardship 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 one handwritten letter alone—the change that could come as a huge shock and hurt to Czennies who have loved me as “NCT’s Mark,” to Mark fans, and to 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, whom I’m most grateful to—is to convey my genuine, 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 as strongly as I can: thank you. Truly, truly, thank you. Thank you for letting me live as the happiest person for the past 10 years. For helping me hold 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 precious and invaluable love and support, it’s 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 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 best—and work as hard as I can. Once again, thank you so much.