Jaehwa Bernardo

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ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1775452837309photo_2026-04-06_13-14-09.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>K-pop star Ten. Photo from NCT&#x27;s X account</div>(UPDATE) Thai K-pop star Ten is leaving SM Entertainment after a decade with the agency but will continue to be part of the groups NCT and WayV, the company said Monday.In a notice on fan community platform Weverse, SM said its exclusive contract with Ten, whose real name is Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul, will conclude on April 8.&quot;Moving forward, we will continue to stay in close communication to explore opportunities for Ten to participate in WayV and NCT activities, where possible,&quot; said the label, which is home to some of the biggest acts in the genre.The company acknowledged Ten&#x27;s &quot;distinctive artistic presence and breadth of talent&quot; demonstrated through both his group and solo activities.&quot;We sincerely appreciate the time we have shared together, and wish him all the best as he moves forward into a new chapter,&quot; SM said.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1775457307481photo_2026-04-06_13-14-08.jpg" style="width:633px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="633"/>Screenshot from WayV&#x27;s Weverse fan community</div>The announcement comes days after SM <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/music/2026/4/3/k-pop-star-mark-lee-leaves-nct-label-sm-entertainment-1524">revealed </a>that another NCT member, Mark Lee, would also depart the company. Unlike Ten, however, Mark will be leaving NCT and its sub-units, NCT 127 and NCT Dream.Both Ten and Mark were among the first five members of NCT introduced in 2016 with the debut single &quot;The 7th Sense.&quot;Over the years, NCT has expanded to include more than 20 members who perform across various sub-units. Ten is a member of the rotational unit NCT U and the group&#x27;s China-based unit, WayV.<div>&#x27;INCREDIBLY MEANINGFUL&#x27;</div>In a message shared on his Instagram Stories, Ten looked back on his decade-long career, saying every moment he has spent with fans &quot;has been incredibly meaningful to me.&quot;&quot;I truly cherish every moment of this journey,&quot; he said.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1775457369597photo_2026-04-06_14-11-51.jpg" style="width:633px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="633"/>Screenshot from Ten&#x27;s Instagram Stories<img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1775457401476photo_2026-04-06_14-11-52.jpg" style="width:633px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="633"/>Screenshot from Ten&#x27;s Instagram Stories</div>Explaining his decision to leave SM, Ten said: &quot;As I approach my 10th anniversary, I&#x27;ve found myself wanting to take on new challenges, explore new possibilities, and discover new versions of myself.&quot;&quot;So, after a lot of thought and many heartfelt discussions with the members and the staff at SM, I&#x27;ve decided to conclude my exclusive contract with the company,&quot; he said.But Ten stressed that SM would always be his &quot;home.&quot;&quot;I will forever be proud to say that I grew up at SM — especially as the first Thai artist to do so!&quot; he said.&quot;Moving forward, I will continue my activities as Ten of NCT and WayV. At the same time, I&#x27;m excited to show you new sides of &#x27;Ten&#x27; and to evolve in new ways as a solo artist in this next chapter,&quot; he added.Apart from NCT, Ten is also a member of SuperM, a group whose lineup features members from various SM Entertainment boy bands. He has also debuted as a solo artist, releasing two extended plays (EP): a <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/2024/2/13/nct-s-ten-wants-to-show-diverse-sides-in-solo-ep-1735">self-titled EP in 2024</a> and &quot;Stunner&quot; in 2025.

Thai K-pop idol Ten is leaving his label SM Entertainment after a decade with the company, but will continue to participate in the activities of his group NCT.

Thai K-pop idol Ten is leaving his label SM Entertainment after a decade with the company, but will continue to participate in the activities of his group NCT.

K-pop star Ten leaves SM Entertainment, stays in NCT

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K-pop star Ten leaves SM Entertainment, stays in NCT

Jaehwa Bernardo,

ABS-CBN News

Published April 06, 2026 01:23 PM PHT

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Updated April 06, 2026 02:38 PM PHT

Read More:

K-content

K-pop

Ten

NCT

WayV

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