From Manon's Mystery Exit To BTS Coming Back, K-Pop 2026 Has Been Non-Stop

K-Pop 2026 is a landmark year as BTS, Blackpink, EXO and BIGBANG stage long-awaited comebacks while Heeseung, Mark Lee, Danielle, Ten and Manon exit their groups or go solo.

The record label has not made an official statement regarding Manon's departure from the group, yet.

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• BTS, Blackpink, EXO, and BIGBANG return with new music, tours.

The past few months have seen some familiar faces step away from the groups that made them household names. KATSEYE fans were the first to notice something was off when the group's latest poster went up without Manon Bannerman. The other five members, Daniela Avanzini, Lara Raj, Megan Skiendiel, Sophia Laforteza, and Yoonchae Jeung, were all present, but Manon was nowhere to be found.

HYBE and Geffen Records had announced back in February that she was taking a break for her health and well-being. Since then, EYEKONS have been paying close attention, and many pointed out that she had been listed as a former member on ROSTR, a platform used by artists and industry professionals. Neither record label has made an official statement yet.

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by manon (@meretmanon)

Other K-Pop Members Who Left

Over at SM Entertainment, two NCT members wrapped up their decade-long contracts and chose different roads ahead. Mark Lee, who had been part of every NCT sub-unit since the group's early days, decided not to renew. He has spoken about wanting to focus on solo work and personal growth.

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Mark (@onyourm__ark)

Ten, the Thai member of the group, took a different call. He is still part of NCT and WayV but chose not to extend his contract with SM so he could explore new avenues as a performer. He has since launched his own label, Tenth Sound.

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by TEN LEE (@tenlee_1001)

Former NewJeans member Danielle had her contract with ADOR terminated in December 2025 after a drawn-out legal dispute involving HYBE, ADOR's parent agency. The label cited conflicting contracts and unauthorized solo activities as the reason. Danielle has since set up a personal Instagram account, ‘dazzibelle’, where she shares glimpses of her everyday life.

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by @dazzibelle

ENHYPEN's Heeseung, known among ENGENEs as "Ace" for his all-round abilities in singing, dancing, and rapping, parted ways with the group in March 2026. He remained with the same label, BELIFT LAB, but as a solo act. The reason he gave was a musical direction that had grown apart from the rest of the group. He now goes by the stage name EVAN and has an album lined up for June.

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by EVAN (@h_evva_n)

BTS, Blackpink, EXO And BIGBANG Return

If the departures have been bittersweet, the comebacks have been anything but exciting for the fans. 2026 is shaping up to be one of the biggest years the genre has seen in a long time.

BTS marked the end of their nearly four-year hiatus with the release of their fifth studio album, ARIRANG, on March 20th. The members had spent those years completing their mandatory military service in South Korea while also putting out successful solo projects. The full-group return has been one of the most talked-about moments in K-Pop this year.

Blackpink came back as a group as well, after a similar gap. During their time apart, each of the four members had built out their individual careers, with Lisa and Jennie also launching their own record labels. Three of the four members also stepped into acting during this period.

EXO kicked off the year with their eighth studio album, REVERXE, dropping on January 19th. The album marked the end of close to seven years away as a full group. However, Chen, Baekhyun, and Xiumin were not part of this comeback due to ongoing legal proceedings between their sub-unit EXO-CBX and SM Entertainment.

BIGBANG is celebrating 20 years as a group in 2026, and they are doing it in style. G-Dragon, Taeyang, and Daesung have been promoting together, with teasers hinting at a possible return by former member T.O.P. The group made a headline-grabbing appearance at Coachella 2026 and has since announced a world tour along with new social media channels. Members are also continuing their solo work alongside the group activities.