On December 22 (KST), the final day of the protest, RIIZE’s fandom released a statement summarizing the three-week campaign, which was supported by fans both in South Korea and internationally. According to the statement, overseas fans played an active role through joint truck protests organized by Chinese fan communities, fundraising efforts to cover protest costs, slogan contributions, and coordinated hashtag movements across social media platforms.
The fandom clarified that they are not demanding instant outcomes, such as the immediate reassignment of RIIZE to a different management center. Instead, they emphasized that SM Entertainment must take the unified voices of domestic and global fans seriously and respond with prompt, tangible improvements and long-term structural reform.
Much of the criticism was directed squarely at C5. Fans argued that the center’s leadership has squandered the potential of a young artist group, misused company resources, and undervalued the hard work of staff. They claimed that C5’s planning direction is rooted in outdated perspectives that failed even in the past and are especially ineffective in today’s K-pop landscape. The statement further alleged that the center has stubbornly clung to flawed strategies that would be avoided even by companies specializing in reverse-viral marketing.
The fandom described C5’s occasional good decisions as “no more meaningful than a broken clock being right twice a day,” asserting that sporadic competence does not warrant praise. They stressed that regardless of how capable individual staff members may be, real change is impossible if the same decision-makers remain in control.
Fans noted that over the past two years, they have repeatedly seen reasonable requests ignored. These include more frequent domestic comebacks, a larger body of released music and performances, stage-friendly styling, short-form content aligned with current trends, and consistent in-house variety or behind-the-scenes content.
According to the statement, demands for a “center transfer” or “replacement of the center head” did not emerge arbitrarily. The fandom warned that if SM Entertainment fails to acknowledge the underlying reasons for these demands—or chooses to disregard them despite being fully aware—the consequences are unavoidable. They questioned how fans and investors alike could continue to place trust in a company that manages a boy group launched under a new brand name after seven years with such apparent negligence.
The statement also expressed concern that allowing the current situation to persist—explicitly naming C5 and certain executives—could harm SM Entertainment’s intellectual property and erode the company’s three-decade legacy.
Concluding their message, fans emphasized that no one participates in truck protests for enjoyment. They described the demonstrations as a last-resort effort to make their voices heard. While the second round of truck protests has ended, the fandom made it clear that the issue itself is far from resolved unless SM Entertainment implements genuine structural change. They added that they will continue to take action through their platform if necessary.
As of now, SM Entertainment has yet to issue an official response to the protest or the demands raised by RIIZE’s fans.
Sources: allkpop