Fans of RIIZE have announced the conclusion of their truck protest, which lasted for three weeks, while continuing to call for fundamental changes from SM Entertainment.
On December 22 KST, the day the protest ended, RIIZE’s fandom released a statement explaining that the truck demonstrations were carried out over a three-week period and were supported by fans both in Korea and overseas. According to the statement, international fans also participated through joint truck protests organized by Chinese fanbases, fundraising for truck expenses, slogan submissions, and coordinated hashtag campaigns.
The fans emphasized that they do not expect immediate results, such as an instant transfer of RIIZE to a different management center. However, they stressed that SM Entertainment must take the consistent opinions of domestic and international fans seriously and demonstrate swift, concrete improvements and structural change.
In particular, the statement strongly criticized C5, arguing that its decision-makers have wasted the potential of a young artist group, the company’s capital, and the labor of staff members. Fans claimed that the planning direction imposed by C5 reflects outdated sensibilities that failed even decades ago and are especially ineffective with today’s K-pop audiences. They also alleged that C5 has persisted in flawed strategies that even reverse-viral marketing firms would avoid.
The fandom described the occasional positive decisions made by C5 as comparable to “a broken clock being right twice a day,” stating that there is no reason for fans to praise a center that only sporadically fulfills its basic responsibilities. They further argued that no meaningful change can occur if the final decision-makers remain the same, regardless of how capable individual staff members may be.
Fans said they have repeatedly confirmed this reality over the past two years, noting that reasonable demands — including more frequent domestic comebacks, a greater number of songs and performances, styling that does not interfere with stage performance, trend-aligned short-form content, and regular in-house content — have consistently been ignored.
According to the statement, calls for a “center transfer” or “center head replacement” did not arise without reason. The fandom warned that if SM Entertainment fails to recognize the background behind these demands, or chooses to ignore it despite being aware, the consequences are inevitable. They questioned how fans and investors alike could continue to trust a company that manages a boy group introduced under a new name after seven years in such a careless manner.
The statement also expressed concern that by allowing the current situation to continue — naming specific executives and C5 — SM Entertainment risks damaging its own intellectual property and diminishing the company’s 30-year legacy.
Finally, fans emphasized that no one participates in truck protests out of enjoyment. They stated that the demonstrations were a last resort to make their voices heard and clarified that while the second round of truck protests has ended, nothing is truly over unless SM Entertainment implements fundamental change. The fandom added that they will continue to take action through this account if necessary.
As of now, SM Entertainment has not released an official statement regarding the protest or the fans’ demands.
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