TEN, a member of NCT and WayV, has announced that he will not renew his contract with SM Entertainment.
Departure news
While his contract will end on April 8, the Thai singer-dancer plans to continue participating in group activities under future agreements with a new agency.
“Moving forward, we will continue to stay in close communication to explore opportunities for TEN to participate in WayV and NCT activities, where possible,” SM Entertainment said in a statement on Weverse.
TEN debuted in April 2016, alongside Jaehyun, Mark, Taeyong, and Doyoung as NCT U, the first sub-unit of SM Entertainment’s 24-member super group, NCT. He has been in NCT U (Taeyong, Doyoung, Jaehyun, and Mark), the Chinese subunit WayV (with Kun, Winwin, Xiaojun, Hendery, and Yangyang), and SuperM. He has two solo EPs – Ten (2024) and STUNNER (2025).
“Throughout his career, TEN has brought a distinctive artistic presence and breadth of talent to both his group and solo work. We sincerely appreciate the time we have shared together, and wish him all the best as he moves forward into a new chapter.”
Farewell message
TEN announced the news on his Instagram stories in Korean, English, and Thai. Here is his full message in English:
It’s hard to believe that it’s been 10 years since my debut with NCT U in 2016!
Looking back, every moment that I’ve spent with you – as a member of NCT, WayV, the SMTOWN family, and as “TEN” whom you’ve come to know, love, and support – has been incredibly meaningful to me and I truly cherish every moment of this journey.
As I approach my 10th anniversary, I’ve found myself wanting to take on new challenges, explore new possibilities, and discover new versions of myself. So, after a lot of thought and many heartfelt discussions with the members and the staff at SM, I’ve decided to conclude my exclusive contract with the company.
SM will always be my “home”, and I will forever be proud to say that I grew up at SM – especially as the first Thai artist to do so! ‘
Being given the opportunity to learn, perform, and grow as an artist at SM is something that I will always be grateful for and hold close to my heart.
I want to sincerely thank everyone who has been part of my journey over these past 10 years. I am who I am today because of all of you. Thank you to my members and the staff at SM for supporting my decision, and, most importantly, thank you to my fans – my Czennies and WayZenNies – who have supported and loved me unconditionally. It means more to me than I can express in words.
Moving forward, I will continue my activities as Ten of NCT and WayV. At the same time, I’m excited to show you new sides of “TEN” and to evolve in new ways as a solo artist in this next chapter.
Please continue to give your love and support to NCT, WayV, and me.
With all my love,
TEN
The announcement comes days after MARK’s announcement of leaving NCT and SM Entertainment.