Heeseung’s ENHYPEN Exit Brings Back K-Pop’s Most “Dedicated” Protest
On March 10, Heeseung and BELIFT LAB announced his withdrawal from ENHYPEN. The news has sent shockwaves through the K-Pop community among both fans and idols…
…and some ENGENEs have sent protest trucks to HYBE.
Protest Trucks Sent To HYBE To Bring Back ENHYPEN’s Heeseung Sparks Backlash
These protest trucks have brought back memories of another fan-organized protest that took place 17 years ago. In 2026, it isn’t unusual to see K-Pop stars on mainstream American broadcasts. But back in the late 2000s, during 2nd-generation K-Pop, most fans probably weren’t expecting to see a local news anchor reporting on K-Pop…in Seattle, Washington.
In September of 2009, soloist Jay Park left 2PM after Korean media outlets translated and published his unfavorable comments about Korea. Jay Park had written the comments to a friend, via his personal MySpace account, in 2005, three years before he debuted as a member of 2PM. On September 8, 2009, Jay Park announced that he would be leaving 2PM and returning to his hometown, Seattle.
On September 29, 2009, Seattle’s KOMO News reported on Jay Park’s departure and the “diehard fans” who “desperately” wanted him to return to 2PM.
One of the most popular pop stars in South Korea is holding up in, of all places, at his parents’ modest home in Edmonds.
He’s the former leader of the boy band 2PM. They’re not well known here in America, but they’re an absolute sensation with kids and teenagers in Korea. [Jay Park] left the group and the country about 3 weeks ago, that’s after the internet lit up with outrage about an ‘I hate Koreans’ comment he made several years ago while training there with an entertainment company.
— KOMO News
“There is such a devout following,” KOMO News’s Ray Lane reported, “a massive worldwide response to a story posted on kw.com overloaded our server. A plane even flew over the Seattle area this weekend with a banner to get [Jay Park’s] attention.” The plane’s banner read, “J. WHAT TIME IS IT NOW?,” referencing 2PM’s debut album, the HOTTEST TIME OF THE DAY.
On X (formerly Twitter), a netizen brought up how “dedicated” JWalkerz were to their cause…
…while others shared screenshots of the plane and photos taken from a protest outside JYP Entertainment headquarters.
nah fans just aren't dedicated anymore, when jay park left 2pm in 2009 and went back to usa, his fans sent planes to fly banners in seattle and it ended up on the news😭😭 https://t.co/qibQ1WdQNs
— Jay4sho (@neverletgoh0lic) March 11, 2026
This sh*t is so old most of the sites that hosted the fan project back in 2009 have shut down. These were the only pics I managed to find 😭 They even kept it discreet by using just “J” instead of his full name to respect his privacy while he was in Seattle. Thoughtful Jaywalkerz… https://t.co/XqYm0JQKED pic.twitter.com/adaiNo74dQ
— ᴅᴘɴ (@DPNIJP) March 11, 2026
Damn they were dedicated 😔🤍 https://t.co/XqYm0JQKED pic.twitter.com/631tYJL9K7
— ᴅᴘɴ (@DPNIJP) March 11, 2026
Read the latest on Heeseung here…
…pr watch the news story below:
