Nam Tae Hyun, member of YG Entertainment boy band WINNER, is taking a break from his activities to seek treatment for his mental health issues.
YG Entertainment made a statement on October 12 announcing that Nam Tae Hyun is going on hiatus due to mental health issues, which is something he has been struggling with since his days as a trainee. His condition, however, has worsened in recent months.
"After discerning that it would be difficult for him to continue promoting, we have decided that his future activities will be suspended in order for him to focus on treatment," YG Entertainment said, as quoted by Soompi.
The agency added that their top priority for now is Nam Tae Hyun's health. The 22-year-old singer is currently staying with his family and receiving treatment.
According to allkpop, the agency also announced that WINNER's comeback has been postponed. The group has been teasing fans about their comeback in the past few weeks.
"It's a disappointing situation that the timing for WINNER's next activity cannot be anticipated," YG Entertainment said in a statement. "YG hopes the WINNER members can successfully overcome the team's first crisis, and we'll be doing our best so that they can take off once again."
The hiatus, for now, is indefinite and there's still no word as to the activities of the other members. Prior to Nam Tae Hyun's leave, member Kang Seung Yoon stated that the members were working on the studio every day to make a comeback as soon as they can.
Nam Tae Hyun is one of the several K-pop artists to go public with mental health concerns. Label mate T.O.P of Big Bang reportedly suffered from anxiety attacks and depression in 2008. 2AM member Jo Kwon also suffered depression during the eight years that he was a trainee under JYP Entertainment.
