In an interview with Weverse published on September 3, EVAN, 24, who previously promoted under the stage name Heeseung, spoke publicly for the first time about an especially difficult period in his childhood. The singer revealed that he was diagnosed with malignant lymphoma, a type of cancer affecting the lymphatic system, when he was in the fourth grade.
“I think it’s probably time for me to talk about this. I’ve never mentioned it since I became a singer,” EVAN shared. According to the singer, the first signs appeared quite subtly. He had been coughing constantly and initially thought he simply had a cold, so he did not pay much attention to it.
However, while playing soccer one day, EVAN had only taken a few steps when he suddenly found himself unable to breathe. “I went to the hospital afterward and found out that I had cancer,” the former ENHYPEN member recalled.
The period of treatment became a difficult memory for EVAN. Nevertheless, seeing his mother constantly caring for him helped him try to remain strong. “The treatment process was not easy at all. But when I saw my mother taking care of me without stopping, I wanted to be brave in front of her,” he recalled.
Even in the hospital, music remained a part of EVAN’s life. When the hospital organized entertainment programs for patients, he played the guitar and even took on the role of host.
EVAN said he had dreamed of becoming a singer since he was six years old. However, during the years he was battling his illness, that dream was almost pushed aside as he had to focus on treatment and simply staying alive. “Honestly, I didn’t have the mental space to think about that at the time. I watched many of my friends pass away and kept thinking, ‘How much do I want to live? I want to go home,’” the singer shared.
Fortunately, EVAN made it through treatment and was given the opportunity to continue living his life. However, returning to normal life after his illness was far from easy. He said he lacked energy and struggled to make friends and fit in with people his age.
In particular, EVAN was repeatedly teased because of the way his hair grew back after chemotherapy. “My friends would often say, ‘What’s that on your head? Is it grass? You look like a monk.’ But I just endured it because I wanted to fit in,” he recalled.
By the time he entered middle school, EVAN gradually made better friends, but his personality had also changed. Once outgoing and energetic, he became more introverted and less communicative. “I haven’t thought about it in a long time. Remembering it hurts,” the singer said.
Experiences that seemed to have been buried deep in the past have now become an important part of EVAN’s music. After leaving ENHYPEN to pursue a solo career, the singer is preparing to release his debut solo EP, Death of Me. Rather than avoiding his painful memories on the EP, EVAN has chosen to confront them. He believes that his journey battling illness helped him better understand the meaning of continuing to live, even during the most difficult moments.
One of the tracks on the EP is “Noise.” EVAN specifically highlighted the message in the lyrics, which carry an encouraging sentiment that listeners should not give up and that better days will eventually come. “I want to begin my music under the name EVAN by telling everyone that better days will come again,” he explained.
In particular, the title track “Death of Me” holds an even deeper meaning for the singer. The line “ain’t the death of me” is not simply a message written for a song. For EVAN, it comes from his real-life experience of having once stood very close to the boundary between life and death. “When I sing ‘Death of Me,’ the line ‘ain’t the death of me’ comes from the fact that I really was once very close to the edge of death,” EVAN said.
The singer said that although he had experienced moments that seemed impossible to overcome, he repeatedly realized that they were not the end. “No matter how far down I fell, time and time again, I felt that it was never truly the end,” he shared.
Through his music, EVAN hopes his story can offer a little hope to listeners, especially those going through difficult times. “I hope EVER can hear that message and find a little bit of hope in it,” he said.
EVAN was one of the seven original members of ENHYPEN, the group formed in 2020 through the reality survival show I-LAND. The original lineup consisted of EVAN, who was then still promoting under the stage name Heeseung, along with Jay, Jake, Sunghoon, Sunoo, Jungwon, and Ni-Ki.
In March 2026, BELIFT LAB announced that EVAN would “part ways” with ENHYPEN to focus on developing his solo career. This marked the first lineup change for the group since its debut. One month later, the singer announced that he would be using the new stage name EVAN. He revealed that the name had originally been used during his childhood and was connected to many precious memories.
“EVAN is a name I’ve used since I was young, and it contains many precious memories. I wanted to bring back the name I created when I was a child and appear with a new mindset,” he shared.
From a boy who once battled cancer, endured months of chemotherapy, and watched his friends pass away one after another, EVAN now stands at the beginning of a new chapter in his life as a solo artist. For him, Death of Me is not simply his first musical release after leaving ENHYPEN, but also a way of telling a story about life, loss, and the ability to rise again after experiences that once seemed impossible to overcome.
“I will gradually get closer to my fans through music that fully expresses the most genuine and natural version of myself,” EVAN previously said when introducing his new direction.
Sources: Saostar