Mark personally addresses fans after his departure from NCT

“Hello, this is Mark.
Hi Czennies…

In 2016, around April, I was introduced as a member of NCT, and now it’s been about 10 years since I’ve been living as Mark. Over those 10 years I met so many people, experienced many things and received so much love and support. I am truly grateful. I’ve loved being a performer and being on stage from a young age, and I’ve always enjoyed expressing myself, so I think I’ve been able to persevere and come this far.
It feels like just yesterday that I debuted, but before I knew it, 10 years had passed. I guess I lived while constantly running forward. Now, at this point, I was seriously thinking about my new challenges and a new chapter in my life.

I know this may come as a bit of a sudden and surprising message to everyone… but ever since I was young, I have had a dream that I have kept in my heart. To carry a guitar, ride the subway, write songs and travel around. I loved imagining that kind of life. But I didn’t want to give up this dream lightly, and as someone who loves music and the stage, after watching shows about 10 years ago, I only started thinking seriously about becoming an artist.

Because I started as an artist at SM Entertainment, I was able to learn and grow more about myself. I am truly grateful. Being an artist has allowed me to experience so many “firsts”—firsts in happiness, sadness, stages, and everything else. For 10 years I saw and experienced the world for the first time, and through those firsts I naturally began to think deeply about what my ultimate dream is, what kind of person Mark wants to become and what kind of goals I want to achieve.

As it is a time that closes those 10 years, I think I gathered all the emotions I kept in my heart and thought deeply for a long time, and finally decided to take on this new dream. I became curious about what a fully realized version of that dream would look like, and I wanted to challenge myself properly and dive into it. I really want to find what my music is, what it means to me, and how I can share it with the world…and achieve it.

While I talked a lot with each member about this, even though it was not an easy decision, all the members supported me and respected my choice. I am always sorry and grateful for them. To the fans who have always looked at me warmly and believed in me, I want to say a sincere thank you again.

— Market