Former NCT Member Mark Opens Up About Why He Left and What's Next

Former NCT member Mark has opened up about his decision to leave the group and what he plans to do next.

In a video posted to his personal YouTube channel on Aug. 14, Mark looked back on the handwritten letter he shared in April when announcing his departure from NCT and the end of his contract with SM Entertainment.

Mark said he spent two days writing the letter because he wanted to explain his decision as sincerely as possible. But the reaction that followed was bigger than he expected, with some fans wondering whether he was leaving music altogether.

"I wasn't retiring, but the fans didn't know that," he said. "That's when I realized I needed to come back with music first."

Mark said the experience helped him understand the uncertainty fans felt at the time. It also made him more certain about what he wanted to do after leaving the group.

He explained that he had spent a long time thinking about what being "the best" actually meant to him, both in music and in life. That eventually led him to the idea of "goodness" and a desire to show that being good can also be cool.

"I want to create a new kind of cool," he said, adding that he hopes to make music that can carry that message to the next generation.

Mark debuted with NCT in 2016 and ended his activities with NCT 127 and NCT DREAM this April. He has since launched his own creative company, Upper Room, and is beginning his next chapter as a solo artist.