Mark Leaves NCT and SM Entertainment After 10 Years

NCT (엔시티) member Mark (마크, born Lee Min-hyung) is departing the group and SM Entertainment after nearly a decade with the label. SM confirmed on April 3, 2026 KST that Mark's exclusive contract will conclude on April 8, 2026, ending his membership in NCT, NCT 127, and NCT Dream. The announcement, published through Weverse and echoed in Korean media coverage, marks the close of a 10-year chapter that began when the Canadian-Korean rapper debuted as part of NCT U on April 9, 2016. According to SM Entertainment's official statement, the exit covers all three of Mark's active NCT units at once, making it one of the most consequential lineup shifts the project has seen since launch. The timing is near symbolic: his departure date lands the day before what would have been his exact 10-year debut anniversary.

SM Entertainment's Official Statement

SM Entertainment confirmed the departure in a statement published on Weverse on April 3, 2026 KST. "After a lengthy and serious discussion with Mark about the future direction of his activities, it has been mutually agreed that Mark's exclusive contract will come to an end on April 8 KST," the label said in the announcement. "As a result, Mark will conclude his activities as a member of NCT, NCT 127, and NCT Dream. Since his debut as a member of NCT in 2016, Mark showcased his exceptional talents not only in his team activities, but also as a solo artist, throughout the past 10 years. We would like to sincerely thank Mark for that precious time, and we also cheer him on as he prepares to embark on a new beginning." The statement describes the decision as mutual. No breakdown, no ambiguity. That framing matters because, as reported by Korean outlets following the Weverse notice, SM chose language that signals an orderly separation rather than a disciplinary exit.

Ten Years with NCT: What Mark Built

Mark's history with SM Entertainment goes back further than his debut. He joined SM as a trainee in 2012 after passing the SM Global Audition in Vancouver, Canada. On December 16, 2013, he was introduced to the public as a member of SM Rookies, the label's pre-debut training program. When NCT officially launched in April 2016, Mark was part of the very first lineup, debuting with NCT U on "The 7th Sense." From there, he became a fixed member of both NCT 127 and NCT Dream, a rare distinction within a group designed to rotate and expand. He was one of only a handful of members to hold simultaneous standing in multiple NCT sub-units throughout his career. Beyond the group work, Mark built a substantial solo discography and reputation as one of the unit's sharpest lyricists, contributing to songwriting across multiple projects. He briefly graduated from NCT Dream in 2018 under the group's original age-out model, before being reinstated when SM scrapped the graduation system. That he survived that transition and remained central to NCT's output for another seven years after says everything about his standing within the group.

Solo Momentum: The Firstfruit

Mark's departure does not come out of nowhere. He released his first solo full-length album, "The Firstfruit," on April 7, 2025, almost exactly one year before his contract expiration date, as reported by Korea JoongAng Daily. The album consisted of 13 songs, including lead track "1999," with the project drawing on Mark's personal history across Toronto, New York, Vancouver, and Seoul. The Firstfruit was supported by listening sessions across four Asian cities simultaneously, a solo promotional scale that positioned him clearly as a solo artist in his own right, not just a group member releasing side content. The album's existence, scope, and the way it was marketed now reads differently with this announcement in view: it was groundwork. Mark has been building toward a solo career that can operate independently of the NCT structure.

What the NCT Restructure Looks Like Now

With Mark's exit, NCT 127 continues as a seven-member group: Johnny, Taeyong, Yuta, Doyoung, Jaehyun, Jungwoo, and Haechan, according to SM Entertainment's April 3 statement. NCT Dream continues as six: Renjun, Jeno, Haechan, Jaemin, Chenle, and Jisung. That is a notable reduction from the group's peak configuration. NCT 127 debuted as a seven-member unit in 2016 before expanding, and they now return to a leaner lineup. For NCT Dream, the loss is significant in terms of legacy: Mark was there when the sub-unit launched, he graduated, he came back, and now he is the first member to formally leave under the current non-graduation system. His departure is a genuinely different event from the old Dream graduations. It is a contract conclusion, not a structural rotation.

Fan Reaction and What Comes Next

The announcement landed early morning KST and immediately flooded K-pop discussion boards. Fan reaction is layered: grief at the group split, but also recognition that Mark has earned this next phase. Many NCT fans on X pointed to his solo debut last year as the clearest signal of where this was heading. "We knew this was coming and it still hurts," ran the sentiment across fan accounts within the first hour of the announcement. Others noted the near-perfect 10-year timing with respect to his April 9, 2016 debut date. The Korean-Canadian rapper, who first came to SM Entertainment through the Vancouver audition circuit, has been one of the label's most globally recognized exports, as covered by Korean and international media tracking his career trajectory. Mark later addressed fans in a personal Instagram letter, reflecting on how much had happened over the past decade and thanking Czennies who had supported him since the SM Rookies era. That follow-up matters. It reinforced SM's framing that the split was a transition, not a scandal, and it gave fans a clearer emotional bridge into whatever comes next. His solo career under a new label or independent setup is the obvious next chapter, though no post-SM announcement has been made beyond the exit notice and his message to fans. What is clear: Mark Lee (이민형) built a decade-long foundation in one of K-pop's most structurally complex groups, and now he is free to build on it without the constraints of a multi-unit rotation system.