Why Did Zhang Yixing Leave EXO?

Zhang Yixing's departure from EXO was a gradual process that felt inevitable to longtime fans like me. Around 2015-2016, I noticed his activities in China increasing dramatically—his solo albums 'LOSE CONTROL' and 'SHEEP' were huge hits, and he became a judge on idol survival shows. SM Entertainment allowed him to establish his own studio there, which was rare for K-pop idols at the time. The 2017 THAAD tensions made Korea-China promotions nearly impossible, and Lay being the only Chinese member left in EXO by then (after the others' lawsuits) made his position uniquely difficult. I remember watching EXO's concerts during this period where he'd appear via video call for his parts—it felt bittersweet. His final official departure in 2022 seemed more like a paperwork formality; we'd all emotionally adjusted years earlier. What fascinates me is how he managed to maintain goodwill with both SM and EXO members—still mentioning them fondly in interviews while building his empire in China.

Looking back, his career trajectory reminds me of Jackson Wang's—both leveraged K-pop training to dominate the Chinese market but took very different paths. Lay's political alignment with the Chinese government (like his 'Youthfulness' performance for the CCP anniversary) probably made staying in a Korean group untenable long-term. I respect how transparent he was about missing group activities due to scheduling conflicts rather than inventing drama. These days when I see EXO's ot9 stans still hoping for reunions, I think they're chasing nostalgia—Lay's solo career has objectively outgrown what he could've done within EXO's structure.

Lay's exit didn't surprise me—it was the messy middle period that hurt. Remember when EXO-M basically disbanded after Kris, Luhan and Tao left? Lay became this symbolic bridge between EXO and Chinese fans overnight. SM gave him unprecedented freedom with his China studio around 2016, but that also meant constant tension between group commitments and solo work. I used to track his airport schedules—the man was literally living on planes trying to do both. The real turning point was 2018's 'TEMPO' comeback where he only participated in the Chinese version. His absence from Korean promos became normalized after that.

What's interesting is comparing his exit to other Chinese K-pop idols. Unlike Victoria Song who quietly faded from f(x), or the ex-EXO members who sued SM, Lay negotiated a gentler transition. His Weibo still follows all EXO members, and he name-drops them occasionally—that's classy considering how messy K-pop departures usually are. These days I enjoy his acting gigs like 'The Golden Eyes' more than his music, though 'Lit' remains an absolute banger. His story makes me wonder if any Chinese K-pop idol can truly balance both markets long-term.