On January 11, 2024, it was announced widely through social media platforms that Zuho – SF9 member, lyricist, and rapper – signed a contract with Haewadal Entertainment for his solo activities, particularly acting. Despite having a separate company for his solo schedules, he remains under a contract with FNC Entertainment for group activities with fellow SF9 members.
However, since the day Zuho signed with Haewadal Ent., FNC began to exclude the lyricist from his group’s activities, using “scheduling conflicts” as an excuse for Zuho’s absence.
Ways in which Zuho has been unfairly mistreated by FNC Entertainment ranges from losing facial recognition, which prevents him from entering and having access to the building, losing access to official SF9 accounts (i.e YouTube, Instagram, Twitter), to being withheld from participating in SF9’s latest comeback for their 14th mini album “Fantasy.”
FNC Entertainment did not make a statement on SF9’s Zuho’s absence for the comeback, causing fans to grow concerned since it wasn’t the first time FNC was leaving Zuho out of SF9’s activities.
Additionally, on Zuho’s birthday (July 4th), FNC failed to create a birthday post for the rapper when, in previous years, they used to make a birthday post for him to celebrate. No post was made until fans were in uproar, pressuring the company to acknowledge and post for his birthday. To which, the company responded with the bare minimum on the official SF9 Japanese account—not the primary account.
2024.07.04
— SF9 JAPAN OFFICIAL (@SF9_official_jp) July 4, 2024
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!
ジュホお誕生日おめでとう🎉#SF9#ジュホ#ZUHO pic.twitter.com/qu2Tx8nmee
FNC Entertainment continues to leave Zuho in the dark, withholding planned group activities from him.
On August 23rd, FNC posted on Twitter about SF9’s upcoming fancon for the 8th anniversary “My 8antasia”.
2024.10.04-05 2024 SF9 FAN-CON 'My 8antasia' 안내
— FNC Ent. (@FNC_ENT) August 23, 2024
>> https://t.co/oxHrqB6jBY#SF9 #에스에프나인 #My_8antasia pic.twitter.com/qYVOkPFEZG
Zuho, like fans, learned about the fancon through social media, and he informed fans he was not aware of the fancon, mentioning how he had not been informed by FNC about it and didn’t know he wouldn’t be involved.
🦁: eung i haven't heard anything from that company pic.twitter.com/JGSG9YVJZ0
— 병아리상혁 (@colorsdw) August 23, 2024
He has demonstrated his frustrations briefly through Instagram stories, statements such as “I can’t even if I wanted to,” “What should I do in this situation?”
+ Zuho posted this on his Instagram story but deleted it a few minutes later… It seems like he’s really having a tough time:(
— Chan ♡︎ // missing my military bfs (@rrwoony) August 28, 2024
Please keep sharing about this matter we really need to help him. We need to stay by his side and protect him at all costs just like he does for us.. pic.twitter.com/SH5uc87vId
SF9’s Zuho is an important member of SF9 as are the others, and his exclusion of group activities – which includes being copyrighted from performing various SF9 songs at his own fan concerts, songs he has written or helped written for majority of SF9’s discography – is only harming the rapper and causing anger throughout the fandom. It has caused fans to create threads of the mistreatment, as well as an attempt to rally other fandoms to inform them on what is happening.
[SF9 Zuho being continuously mistreated by FNC Entertainment over the past months]
— Chan ♡︎ // missing my military bfs (@rrwoony) August 26, 2024
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A thread
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❗️please rt and share❗️#kpop #kpoptwt #SF9 #Zuho#Zuho_deserves_better pic.twitter.com/k9aYhagDU7
Despite FNC Entertainment’s exclusion of Zuho in SF9 activities, Zuho continues to support SF9 through his individual Instagram account. He would repost the teasers for “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”, continues to comment under his members’ Instagram posts, and he continues to express his love for SF9. Zuho is known to be the group’s #1 supporter, evident by the tattoos he has that represent the bond that has been created between all SF9 members.