Hong Seung-han was born on October 2, 2003, in the Ilsan District of Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea,[2] and has a brother who is five years his senior.

[15] On November 22, in response to leaked photos from prior to his debut that showed him kissing a woman in a bed and smoking a cigarette, SM announced that Seunghan would take an indefinite hiatus from Riize.

[16][17] At the same time, Seunghan issued a hand-written apology letter to fans, and SM noted that the leaked photos were "severe defamation" and maliciously edited,[17] and that they had identified the source and would be initiating legal proceedings against them.

In the statement, they indicated that they had "determined that Riize's next chapter would be even more meaningful if the seven members were together", and that they empathized with fans who were worried or concerned due to lack of updates over the previous 11 months.

[20][21] Shortly after, Seunghan posted a hand-written letter to his official Weverse fan community, apologizing once again and saying he was "deeply regretful and disappointed" over the controversial photos.

In the hours immediately following the announcement protests were organized, mostly by South Korean fans,[22][23][24] who felt that Seunghan had betrayed their trust and damaged Riize's reputation.

[25] That evening, over 1000[26] funeral wreaths began appearing on the plaza outside SM's headquarters in Seoul, bearing messages like "soul of the deceased, rest in peace",[27] "freeloaders, get lost!"

[32] Within the industry, Seunghan received support from SM labelmate Leeteuk of Super Junior and former Day6 member Jae Park, with the latter criticizing the act of protesting with funeral wreaths, calling the practice "disgusting" and suggesting that those responsible should face legal consequences.

Fans protested outside the Dolby Theatre with banners that read "Idols are human, SM protect Seunghan" and flags bearing his face.

He noted that South Korea's pop culture takes a conservative approach to idol behavior, in contrast with SM's perceived plans for Riize to appeal to a global audience.

[32] Speaking to NBC News, Stephanie Choi, a faculty expert on K-pop music at University at Buffalo, noted South Korean record labels are more likely to cater to domestic fans because they "actively participate in the idol-fan relationship by purchasing hundreds of album copies and meeting idols in person at events", while international fans "consume idols as media figures from a distance, without investing in the idol-fan relationship".

[31] Resonate Magazine noted that the clash between South Korean and international fans highlighted the cultural differences between the two groups, with South Korean fans feeling "a sense of ownership over their idols, expecting them to prioritize their careers and maintain a manufactured image of perfection" while internationally, K-pop idols are viewed "as artists first and foremost, deserving of personal lives and freedom of expression".

[37] Pamela Pascual, writing for Daily Tribune, said that Seunghan was "a case study in cancel culture", and that "K-pop idols often face nonstop criticism that goes beyond their music and targets their personal lives, looks, and choices".