A K-Pop star has to take a break from his upcoming schedule amid serious health concerns.
NCT DREAM star Renjun is temporarily separating from the group after a recent trip to his doctor revealed a "worsening of his physical health." SM Entertainment made the announcement that his doctors have suggested "rest and stability."
"Due to a recent worsening of his physical health and symptoms of anxiety, Renjun visited the hospital, and based on the results of his examination, he was advised by a doctor that he needs plenty of rest and stability," the statement says, according to Soompi.
As a result of the hiatus, Renjun will not be taking part in many of the group's upcoming concerts, including their fan signing event on Saturday and "THE DREAM SHOW 3: DREAM( )SCAPE" shows in Seoul. The concert engagement was set to be held over the course of three days, from May 2 through 4.
"We deemed our artist's health our top priority and after careful discussion with Renjun, we decided that he would focus on his treatment and recovery," SM Entertainment said.
Confirming that they will make "announcement in the future when he is able to resume his activities," the remaining members of the group - Mark, Jeno, Haechan, Jaemin, Chenle, and Jisung - will be continuing on without him.
At the end of the statement, the agency issued a strict warning regarding any online content that would be deemed "malicious" against Renjun and the rest of their roster. They threatened to take legal action against anyone violating these guidelines.
"We are consistently checking for malicious posts, including hateful slander, sexual harassment, false rumors, insults, and defamation of character, about not only Renjun but all of our artists, and we are currently in the process of filing lawsuits [against those responsible]. We plan to hold the culprits legally responsible, with no settlements or leniency, and we will make efforts to protect our artists' rights."
Renjun joined NCT DREAM in 2015 as the group was being formed. Some members had already been veterans within the K-Pop music industry. Their debut single, "Chewing Gum," was released in the summer of 2016. Their first album, aptly titled The First, was released in February 2017.
Since then, the group has released two other albums. In 2022, they debuted a concert film, CT Dream The Movie: In A Dream, which chronicled the two-day opening concerts they held in Seoul. Aside from footage of the concert, the film included a backstage look at the band and exclusive interviews.
The health concerns come after a streak of troubling health issues in the K-Pop industry. 30-year-old Park Boram was found dead on April 11. Her cause of death was ruled to be due to cardiac arrest.
Known for her work in singing competition series Super Star K2, the solo singer had recently released "I Hope," a duet with Huh Gak. The track was meant to commemorate her 10-year anniversary in the K-Pop music industry. It was meant to precede a full-length album, due later this year. However, it is unclear if her record label is still intending to release the LP.
