SEOUL, April 6 — Singer Ten’s exclusive contract with SM Entertainment will end on Wednesday, April 8, the agency said today. The decision came after a thorough review of Ten’s future career direction.
“After a lengthy discussion with Ten regarding his future activities, we have decided to end his exclusive contract on April 8,” SM Entertainment said in a press release. “We thank Ten, who has shown outstanding capabilities as a group member and as a solo artist since his debut,” the agency added. “We will sincerely support his new journey ahead”.
Crucially, SM Entertainment emphasised that Ten will not depart from his groups. The agency confirmed it will coordinate for Ten to participate in future WayV and NCT group activities. While his exclusive contract ends, his membership in the groups continues.
Ten debuted in April 2016 as a member of NCT U, the first subunit of NCT, with the song “The 7th Sense”. He is also a member of WayV, an NCT subunit that primarily promotes in the Chinese market, as well as the global project group SuperM, which was launched in 2019 through a partnership with Capitol Music Group.
The Thai-born singer has built a reputation as one of K-pop’s most versatile performers, serving as the main dancer of WayV and earning recognition for his top-tier skills. Beyond group activities, he successfully launched solo projects in South Korea and Japan in 2024 and 2025. Ten was also the first Thai artist to debut under SM Entertainment.
His departure comes just days after SM Entertainment announced on Friday that fellow NCT member Mark would also leave both the agency and the group on Wednesday. Together, the announcements mark significant transitions for the agency and its flagship boy band.
With his contract ending, Ten will now chart his own course as an individual artist while continuing to appear with WayV and NCT for group activities. SM Entertainment has stated it will continue to provide full support for the activities of all WayV members, and do its utmost for the fans who support them.
