The news of Mark Lee’s departure from NCT and SM Entertainment was announced last Friday (April 3, 2026). This news clearly came as a shock to NCT fans, as Mark had just wrapped up the final concert of NCT Dream’s “The Dream Show 4” tour on Sunday (March 29, 2026). Mark’s decision to leave NCT and SM Entertainment was particularly surprising to fans, as he has long been one of the defining figures of the NCT brand itself.
After this news broke, Mark posted a letter expressing his heartfelt thoughts on this decision in both Korean and English. In this letter, Mark directly described his experience working alongside NCT members over the past 10 years. So, why can Mark’s decision to leave be understood by his fans?
NCT members and colleagues offered their full support
In the comments section of Mark’s personal letter posted on Instagram, four members of NCT Dream—Jeno, Jaemin, Chenle, and Haechan—expressed their full support for their eldest brother. They encouraged Mark even as he prepares to leave the group.
In addition, Doyoung also expressed his support for Mark and helped clarify the situation in an Instagram Story on his personal account. As explained in Mark’s personal letter, Doyoung acknowledged that the decision Mark made was clearly not an easy one. He even reached out to each NCT member individually regarding his decision. This was further evidenced by various messages posted by several NCT Dream members on their Weverse.
In addition to NCT members, many colleagues who have worked on projects with Mark have also shown their support. From choreographers and backup dancers to NCT’s concert planning director, Rino, they all left comments.
Several members stood up for Mark
The news of Mark’s departure clearly wasn’t easily accepted by all fans. Many speculations and rumors circulated wildly after the news broke. As one of the members on hiatus due to mandatory military service, Doyoung openly shared his statement via his personal Instagram on the same day. According to Doyoung, Mark’s departure is purely because he wants to pursue his personal dreams. He emphasized that Mark’s relationship with all NCT members is very good. They even fully support Mark’s decision and asked fans not to believe the rumors circulating out there.
Fans are aware of the workload Mark has been carrying all this time
Since his debut in 2016, Mark has been active in three different groups under SM Entertainment. He initially debuted as a member of NCT U and NCT 127. A few months later, Mark made his debut again as a member of NCT Dream. From 2016 to 2018, Mark was active in all three of these groups. By late 2018, Mark did “graduate” from NCT Dream since the group’s concept was for NCT members who hadn’t reached legal age yet. In 2019, Mark focused on promotions as a member of NCT 127. However, in the same year, he debuted as a member of SuperM, formed by SM Entertainment from several members of their boy groups.
His schedule became even busier after Mark became active again as a member of NCT Dream in 2020. With various overlapping schedules, Mark must have been overwhelmed because he had to focus on promotions for both groups that were active at the time, NCT 127 and NCT Dream.
Appreciating Mark’s future dreams
While working on his solo album, The Firstfruit, Mark admitted that he had experienced such exhaustion that he no longer found music to be his safe haven. At the time, fans felt that this situation arose due to Mark’s overlapping schedule. In fact, Mark himself admitted that he wanted to live in peace and continue making music. In his letter, Mark also touched on his solo activities. He admitted that he wanted to focus on self-development and achieve his small dreams after 10 years of hard work.
Grateful that Mark and the NCT members have been communicating openly for a long time
Mark’s departure has indeed left a deep wound for the members and fans. However, fans are also grateful that Mark and the NCT members have maintained open communication for a long time. This situation demonstrates that their relationship remains strong even though they’ve had to part ways. The roles of the other NCT members are also considered crucial in helping fans accept the situation. They’ve been opening up about Mark’s departure. Fans feel they’re not alone in bearing this sadness and are beginning to accept this difficult decision. So, Mark’s and the NCT members’ actions truly deserve appreciation!
