A PR Crisis That Never Was: A Case Study of Mark Lee
Written by Lariza Oky Adisty
In a k-pop world where reputation is often turbulent and crisis is almost inevitable, Mark Lee did almost the impossible; leaving his group and saying goodbye to his fans and was still met with empathy instead of disdain. Is it a miracle, or is it a fruit of earned reputation?
It does not take a k-pop fan to notice what news took social media by storm on April 3, 2026. Mark Lee, the beloved rapper and the pillar member of NCT announced his departure from both the group and SM Entertainment, the K-pop agency where NCT belongs.
This announcement was not your regular “idol leaving group after contract ends”. With his track record of juggling between two, sometimes three and even four idol groups under SM Entertainment, Mark’s departure leans closer to an end of an era.
When an idol leaves their agency and group, it is technically a situation where an employee quits the job they have had for years. But communicating your resignation is not easy when thousands of people are emotionally invested in how well you do your job.
This is not surprising given that the k-pop industry thrives on parasocial relationships, where fans feel as if they and their idols are close with each other and have a special connection. Idols like Mark need to maintain a near ubiquitous presence through social media and content to establish an emotional attachment; the one so intense it makes fans want to buy everything related to the artists, while also creating an environment where even the smallest mishaps may create unrest among the fandom.
This context would have made Mark’s departure a PR nightmare for SM Entertainment and especially to Mark himself. And, yet, his announcement was met with understanding, even gratitude and affection as fans poured tribute to his career and the impact of his works on their lives instead of reacting with hostility.
The manner of Mark’s departure indicated that this situation is not inevitable and can be very much avoided. Companies can even learn important takeaways from this case, especially in communication and when facing potential crisis:
- Your audience is your stakeholder; treat them as such
Fans are stakeholders for K-pop artists. They have power and interest to decide outcomes, whether it is reputation, impact, or narrative, and ultimately help determine how well decisions are received. Communication in this context is not only about delivering information, but also as a way to manage your relationship with stakeholders over time.
For the last 10 years, Mark has consistently communicated with his fans, and made sure he did the same when announcing his departure. Rather than solely relying on the official announcement released by SM Entertainment, Mark wrote a long letter explaining his decision. In that letter he acknowledged the surprising nature of his departure and promised he will share more details of his next career step.
It is not unusual for a K-pop artist like Mark to write a personal message regarding life-changing decisions such as leaving the group, but artists are usually careful in informing fans. While it is understandable, any perceived ambiguity can spark more speculations and unease among fans. Mark’s letter, on the other hand, reflects the trust he and fans have established over the last decade.
By immediately acknowledging fans’ shock and taking his time to explain his perspectives, Mark treated fans not as customers and consumers of information, but also as stakeholders with high (emotional) interests in his career and his personhood. Him continuing interacting with fans on paid subscription-based platform Bubble until the very last day of his contract further reinforced this. The situation was therefore perceived more as a transition instead of crisis, with Mark fully present instead of leaving fans to handle the situation on their own.
This reflects how stakeholders respond better during crisis or uncomfortable announcements when they are being acknowledged and validated instead of just being informed. Transparency, awareness of the audience, and choices of words may not erase the shock, but can reduce the possibility of distrust and hostility.
This applies not just for Mark or K-pop idols; for companies or for PR consultants, prioritising relationships with stakeholders should be a priority rather than speed, especially during periods of change. Including your stakeholders in the conversation are more likely to result in acceptance and understanding rather than when you treat them as passive recipients of information.
- Consistent reputation building is your ultimate cushion
Here is an uncomfortable truth about k-pop fandom: in this space, it has become so normalised to defend certain fan behaviours such as entitlement and petulance through repeated justification. In Mark’s case, not all fans were able to accept the decision with open arms either; a small fraction of the fandom did think he was being selfish and wrapped the accusation under the narrative of worrying about his groups.
And yet, what made the case of Mark interesting was that such behaviour from fans, instead of supported and validated, were being rightfully called out for what it was: an entitlement that both was unfair and went too far.
The active pushback against such narratives about Mark’s departure were supported by his solid track record as an artist. This reminds us that building reputation takes a lot of time, effort, and patience for years before a crisis even occurs.
Reputation, at its core, is a result of what you do, what you say you do, and what other people say about you. In his case, those three things have proven to be aligned; through professionalism under constant scrutiny and unforgiving schedules, genuine presence for fans, and strong endorsements from groupmates, seniors, and the media, Mark crafted a reputation as a role model. The wide reaction from the fans and the K-pop community was not the result of one single announcement, but rather as a response to a decade-long (at times parasocial) relationship and an accumulated trust he rightfully earned.
Such a response to Mark’s departure is an example of a reality for not just idols, but companies about to make an important statement: that a strong reputation is a cushion during a period of instability, and can help minimise backlash more effectively than a hasty PR response ever could.
It does not matter if your companies do not rely on parasocial relationships, credibility accumulated over time through repeated consistency will create a reputation, which in turn will function as crisis preparedness.
- Your crisis response should be consistent with the image you have built
A more cynical audience may see K-pop as inauthentic due to its tight curation and persona crafting to build a loyal fanbase. While this has proven to bear fruit commercially, moments that can turn into crises require more than careful distance and polished appearance.
Had Mark’s departure been communicated only through SM Entertainment’s official channels or had his own statement delivered with an overly polished tone, the fans and the audience would have been confused, uneasy, or even suspicious about why he left. Mark showed up instead with a handwritten letter, using his own language, his own style of writing, and his own thoughts to talk to fans.
The content of the letter may be different, but fans can still recognise the same Mark who posts his other social media posts or pours his thoughts on Bubble. This shows how crisis response should be consistent with the image you have built, while still taking the gravity of the situation seriously. For PR context, while it is true you must communicate carefully, but also do it honestly.
It has been more than a month since Mark left NCT. But the overwhelmingly (and unusually) empathetic response to his departure has shown that a departure, something that can turn into a “PR crisis” for a K-pop artist, can turn into a valuable lesson of communication and reputation building.
In an industry where parasocial relationships are both a main engine to make money and a challenge in stakeholder management, and a member’s departure can cause (and have caused) fandom division, hostility, and loss of trust, what happened to Mark Lee’s departure was not a miracle. It was received with grace and acceptance due to his success in carefully building reputation, establishing meaningful relationships with fans, and earning trust.
And, yes, like what he has shown, it can take a decade to build that reputation. At the end of the day, it worked well in his favour, more than any crisis response could have.
