[Alpha Biz= Kim Sang Jin] Overseas fans angered by the departure of ENHYPEN member Heeseung have inundated South Korea’s National Pension Service (NPS) with protest calls, temporarily disrupting administrative operations.

Kim Sung-joo, Chairman of the NPS, said on March 18 via social media that the agency’s International Pension Service Center experienced a temporary shutdown last week due to a surge in inquiries. “A sudden influx of calls from overseas temporarily paralyzed our consultation services, and about 1,500 emails were received within just two hours,” he said.

Recent posts circulating on social media urged fans to contact the NPS—listed as a major shareholder of HYBE—questioning whether the agency had prior knowledge of Heeseung’s departure and whether it was aware of any resulting loss in market value. The posts included contact information for the NPS International Pension Service Center.

The NPS is a long-term institutional investor managing public retirement funds and holds stakes in companies across more than 80 countries, including HYBE.

However, Chairman Kim emphasized that the agency does not intervene in corporate management or personnel decisions. “While we invest in numerous companies, we do not engage in individual companies’ management or HR matters. Naturally, we have no involvement in the formation of K-pop groups or their member compositions,” he stated.

He added that the International Pension Service Center is responsible for pension-related support for foreign workers in Korea and Korean nationals working abroad, offering consultations in multiple languages including English, Chinese, Japanese, and Vietnamese. “As a result of this incident, those seeking pension services experienced significant inconvenience,” he noted.

On March 10, BELIFT LAB, ENHYPEN’s agency, announced that Heeseung would leave the group to pursue a solo career. The group will continue as a six-member act consisting of Jungwon, Jay, Jake, Sunghoon, Sunoo, and Ni-ki.

BELIFT LAB stated that the decision followed in-depth discussions about each member’s future and the group’s direction, adding that it respects Heeseung’s artistic aspirations and sees this as an opportunity for both the group and the artist to take a new leap forward.

In a handwritten letter, Heeseung also expressed gratitude to fans, saying the past six years had been invaluable and that he made the decision after careful consideration to present an even better version of himself.

Despite the explanations, some fans have reacted strongly to the sudden departure. Some have even raised claims that producer EL CAPITXN, who previously collaborated with Heeseung, influenced his decision.

 

 

 

[ⓒ 알파경제. 무단전재-재배포 금지]