NCT's TEN Leaves SM After 10 Years — But His Message to Fans Reveals What Comes Next

NCT member TEN has officially confirmed his departure from SM Entertainment, ending a decade-long relationship with one of K-pop's most powerful agencies. But in a message that surprised and reassured fans worldwide, he made one thing unmistakably clear: he is not leaving NCT.

SM Entertainment announced on April 6, 2026, that TEN's exclusive contract would expire on April 8 — the same date as fellow member Mark's departure. The parallel timing prompted immediate comparisons between the two exits, but the outcomes are notably different. While Mark announced he would leave SM and step away from all NCT activities entirely, TEN has confirmed he will remain a member of both NCT and WayV, with his participation in group activities to be coordinated going forward.

A Decade in the Making

For TEN, this moment carries particular weight. He debuted as part of NCT U in 2016, making him not only a founding presence in the NCT universe but also the first Thai artist to be developed and launched under SM Entertainment. Over ten years, he built a reputation as one of the group's most captivating performers — a dancer whose stage presence consistently drew comparisons to the industry's elite.

In a personal statement released simultaneously in Korean, English, and Thai, TEN reflected on everything his time at SM represented. "It's been 10 years since my debut with NCT U in 2016!" he wrote, acknowledging the milestone anniversary that coincides with his transition. His trilingual message underscored his connection to multiple fan communities — not just Korean and global audiences, but the growing Thai fanbase that has long claimed him as a point of pride.

"As I approach my 10th anniversary, I've found myself wanting to take on new challenges, explore new possibilities," TEN explained, framing his decision not as a rejection of what came before, but as a natural evolution. He expressed deep gratitude for the opportunities SM provided and for the team that shaped his career across a formative decade.

What Staying in NCT Actually Means

The announcement immediately raised practical questions among fans: what does it mean for an artist to leave an agency while continuing as a group member? SM addressed this directly, confirming that TEN's involvement in NCT and WayV activities would continue, with the specific terms of his group participation to be arranged separately.

This arrangement — leaving the agency but maintaining the group affiliation — marks a meaningful distinction from Mark's situation. When Mark departed, he stepped away from NCT 127, NCT Dream, and all other NCT sub-unit activities simultaneously. TEN's path suggests a different kind of transition: one where the agency relationship ends, but the creative and group bonds are preserved.

For WayV, the China-focused sub-unit that TEN has been a core member of since his debut, the news carries additional significance. The group has navigated significant lineup changes in recent years, and TEN's continued involvement offers a degree of stability for a fanbase that has watched the unit reshape itself over time.

The Bigger Picture for NCT

TEN's departure is the latest in a series of changes reshaping one of K-pop's most expansive group concepts. NCT was built around the idea of an ever-expanding roster — a system designed for flexibility but one that has also produced complexity as members' careers and personal priorities have evolved.

Mark's full exit and TEN's agency departure, both landing on the same date, signal a broader renegotiation of what NCT looks like as its founding generation enters a new phase. For the members who remain contracted with SM, the moment raises questions about the group's long-term structure that the company has yet to fully address publicly.

Still, TEN's message struck a tone of optimism rather than closure. He spoke warmly of his members and of the fans — known collectively as NCTzens — who have followed him since his debut days. His solo career, which he will continue to develop under the name "TEN," gives him a platform independent of any single agency arrangement.

With his contract expiring April 8, the next chapter begins almost immediately. For a performer who has spent a decade building one of K-pop's most distinctive artistic identities, the question is less about what he's leaving behind and more about where that ambition takes him next.

TEN the Performer: A Career Built on Artistic Risk

Before the contract discussions, before the milestone anniversaries, TEN built his reputation through his performances. Among the many artists who have passed through the SM Entertainment system, he distinguished himself not through chart dominance but through sheer stage presence — a quality that fans and peers alike have described as rare even by industry standards.

His first solo mini-album, released in 2024 under the name "TEN," marked a turning point that felt both overdue and perfectly timed. The project gave him space to express an artistic voice that had been developing across years of NCT stages, WayV releases, and solo units — and it demonstrated that his ambitions extended far beyond the conventional scope of what K-pop groups usually allow their members.

That solo foundation matters as he steps into whatever comes next. Artists who leave major agencies without a proven solo identity are often vulnerable; TEN enters this transition with a fan base that has followed him independently of his group memberships, and with enough creative output to sustain that relationship while new arrangements are established.

The Thai K-pop community, which has watched TEN carry significant symbolic weight as SM's first Thai artist, responded to the announcement with a mix of emotion and support. His departure from the agency marks the end of a chapter for Thai representation within one of the industry's most historically significant labels — but fans were quick to note that his continued NCT membership reframes the story from loss to evolution.

For NCTzens globally, the most reassuring element of TEN's message was its tone. He did not frame his departure as a break — he framed it as an evolution. That framing, combined with SM's confirmation of ongoing group participation, leaves the door open for exactly the kind of collaborative future that fans of large-group K-pop have increasingly come to understand as the industry's new normal.