Enhypen Fans Overwhelm South Korea Pension Lines

Seoul, South Korea – Fans of the K-pop boy band Enhypen overwhelmed the telephone and email support lines of South Korea's National Pension Service last week, protesting the sudden departure of group member Heeseung from the ensemble.

The National Pension Service, which manages assets worth approximately 900 billion U.S. dollars, experienced a surge of more than 1,500 emails and numerous international calls within a two-hour period, temporarily paralyzing its international support center. The center provides pension services to foreign residents in South Korea and Koreans living abroad. Kim Sungjoo, chairman and chief executive of the fund, disclosed the incident in a Facebook post on March 18, noting that the disruptions inconvenienced individuals seeking routine pension advice.

The protests stemmed from Heeseung's announcement on March 10 that he was leaving Enhypen to pursue a solo career. Heeseung, the group's main vocalist, had been a key member since the band's debut in 2020 under Belift Lab, a subsidiary of the entertainment company Hybe. Belift Lab confirmed the departure and stated that Heeseung would not return to the group, prompting widespread fan discontent...