The departure of Mark Lee from both NCT and SM Entertainment stands out as a pivotal moment in contemporary K-pop history.
Following his withdrawal from the sub-units NCT 127 and NCT DREAM, the remaining active members sat down for an in-depth conversation with Billboard.
Their discussion shed light on the extended period of decision-making, internal deliberations, and personal considerations that ultimately defined their contract renewal outcomes.
A Multi-Year Process of Deliberation
The choices surrounding contract renewals and roster changes rarely happen overnight, despite how sudden they may appear to the public.
The members clarified that their decisions were the result of continuous, honest dialogue conducted across several years rather than a quick resolution reached in a matter of weeks. Johnny underscored the amount of effort required to reach their final decisions:
“The decisions that everybody made weren’t made in a few months.
It really did take a lot of time and effort and conversation with each other to come upon the conclusion we came upon.” – NCT’s Johnny
Group leader Taeyong provided further context regarding the timeline, explaining that these conversations began long before the public became aware of any upcoming contract extensions.
Initial discussions were initiated prior to members entering mandatory military service, giving each person the space to assess their individual trajectory and personal ambitions:
“At the beginning, before I went to the military, we all got together and talked about it.
I guess each of us had a direction we were thinking about, and we each wanted different things, so I think it was unavoidable that we took a longer time to think about it.” – NCT’s Taeyong
Balancing Individual Goals and Group Realities
Having over two years to deliberate allowed each member to carefully weigh their individual aspirations alongside their shared commitments as a team.
Navigating different career goals within a large, established group naturally brought complex choices and compromises.
Reflecting on the final outcome, Taeyong openly addressed the difficulty of achieving complete alignment across every individual preference:
“Ultimately, I can’t say that everyone is completely satisfied.” – NCT’s Taeyong
By opening up about these long-term discussions, the members provided fans with a realistic look at the thoughtful dialogue and individual decision-making that shaped this new chapter for the group.
