Ex-boy band singer Mark Lee will perform an unreleased solo song, “Ready or Not,” on Friday in Baku, Azerbaijan, for the global commemoration of World Environment Day, according to his agency Upper Room on the same day.

Lee's appearance at the World Environment Day 2026, hosted annually by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), will take place at the Heydar Aliyev Center and marks the K-pop star's first public event since he departed boy band NCT in April and transferred agencies from SM Entertainment to his own label, Upper Room.


Attendees will include the Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen.

The event will be livestreamed worldwide through UN WebTV and the official YouTube channel of UNEP.

Mark debuted in 2016 as a member of NCT. In April this year, Lee and SM Entertainment said they had reached a mutual agreement to conclude Mark’s exclusive contract after extensive conversations.

BY LEE JIAN [lee.jian@joongang.co.kr]