DJ DOC's Lee Ha-neul reveals financial crisis after brother's death

DJ DOC member Lee Ha-neul revealed that he endured the most difficult period of his life as divorce, the death of his younger brother the late Lee Hyun-bae, internal team conflicts, and the COVID-19 pandemic all occurred in succession. In particular, he confessed that after the suspension of DJ DOC activities effectively cut off his main source of income, issues regarding the return of advance payments arose, forcing him to shoulder hundreds of millions of won in economic burdens alone.

Through a video titled 'The Hardest Times During Entertainment Activities (From Divorce to COVID-19)' uploaded to his YouTube channel on the 13th, Lee detailed the economic and psychological difficulties he experienced over the past few years.

He began by saying, "While active as DJ DOC, I never had major worries about money. I lived with the thought that I could earn it again anytime, and since I had saved a certain amount, I thought it was a stable life."

However, he recalled that the situation changed abruptly as personal matters and unexpected events occurred one after another.

Lee stated, "During the divorce process, I liquidated and paid out the cash and assets I held. At the time, I thought 'I can just earn it again,' but afterward, my relationship with Kim Chang-yeol soured following my brother's passing, and DJ DOC performances were effectively suspended. With my main source of income gone and the COVID-19 pandemic hitting, even the occasional events I had scheduled were all canceled."

He looked back on that time, adding, "For about 3 years, fixed expenses of 15 million to 20 million won occurred every month. During the COVID period, I had to cover hundreds of millions of won with the funds I held. Money was constantly flowing out, and eventually, I even started internet broadcasting."

He also explained that the background of starting internet broadcasting involved contract issues caused by the suspension of DJ DOC activities.

He revealed, "During DJ DOC activities, there were instances where we received advance payments by signing performance contracts in advance. However, once the team activities were suspended, the contracting companies demanded the return of those advance payments."

He continued, "At that time, I was in a situation where I had to return about 200 million won all at once. The companies even said that if they didn't receive the money, they would not only take legal action but also make it public through the media. If that had become a reality, I felt even the opportunity for DJ DOC to resume activities would have vanished."

Lee revealed that he eventually resolved the debt through the income earned from internet broadcasting. He explained, "Chang-yeol settled his own share, and I settled mine. Jung Jae-yong was in a difficult economic situation at the time, so I persuaded the company, saying, 'I will take responsibility for Jae-yong's share,' and I held out like that for nearly a year."

The conflict between Lee and Kim surfaced after the sudden passing of his younger brother, who was a member of the group 45RPM, in 2021.

At the time, Lee claimed that Kim had dropped out midway from the Jeju Island guesthouse business that Lee Hyun-bae and Kim were pursuing together, causing his brother to face economic hardship. He publicly criticized Kim, claiming that his brother, who was working delivery jobs to make living expenses, could not receive sufficient treatment after an accident due to the economic burden, and eventually died from the aftereffects. On the other hand, Kim's side had previously stated that such claims were untrue.

After cutting off contact for about 3 years, the two were seen reconciling in 2024 when they met again as the full DJ DOC lineup, including member Jung Jae-yong, raising expectations for the restoration of their relationship.

However, discord resurfaced late last year when Lee and Jung held a year-end performance without Kim. Currently, Lee and Jung continue to collaborate steadily, such as jointly operating a specialized gopchang restaurant, and they have not released any official position regarding their relationship with Kim.

This confession is being understood as a direct account of the realistic hardships he had to endure as external variables like the suspension of team activities and the pandemic overlapped with personal tragedies during the same period.