Former CNBLUE member Lee Jong-hyun breaks 8-year silence

Lee Jong-hyun, a former member of the group CNBLUE, has resumed his SNS activities after a hiatus of approximately eight years, personally sharing his recent life. Having lived as an ordinary member of society after leaving the entertainment industry and learning a new profession, he expressed his desire to communicate with people again—not as "celebrity Lee Jong-hyun," but as "human Lee Jong-hyun."

On the 10th, Lee posted a long message along with recent photos on his SNS, stating, "This is Lee Jong-hyun. I have left this account empty for eight years."

He first explained the situation regarding his account. "My account was hacked, so I am currently requesting to modify the ID and the profile description," he said, noting that he is in the process of organizing the account.

Reflecting on the past few years, he confessed, "There were a few years when I lived with my back turned to the world. Since then, I have been learning a job to try and make a living."

The new life he chose after suspending his entertainment activities was in the beauty field.

Lee introduced his daily routine, which involves attending meetings and inspecting products to find better ways of doing things, saying, "Though it is a small field, for the past eight years, I have found interest in beauty marketing and have been working professionally. This is my daily life lately."

The released photos captured this change. From scenes of him working in front of a laptop in what appears to be an office to moments spent looking at the night view, his daily life was quite different from his past image performing on stage.

In particular, Lee honestly conveyed the emotions he felt while experiencing the life of an ordinary office worker.

"I go out in the morning and come home at night. I realized how difficult it is to live a normal working life."

He added, "I think everyone who does so is truly amazing."

In essence, he has turned his life in a completely different direction over the eight-year period. His confession can be read as having newly felt the weight of daily life through the time spent away from the public eye, pulling himself together and learning a new trade.

Finally, Lee expressed his determination for his future life.

"Moving forward, I will live while communicating with more people as human Lee Jong-hyun. I hope you all have a happy day."

Lee debuted as a member of CNBLUE in 2010, gaining recognition as a guitarist and vocalist. He built public recognition by expanding his scope of activities beyond music into dramas and variety shows.

However, a major shift occurred in his entertainment career when the so-called "Jung Joon Young group chat" controversy erupted in 2019. As the social impact grew due to the illegal filming and distribution incidents at the time, Lee also faced criticism as he was known to be a member of the related group chat.

The controversy grew even larger when it was revealed that he had sent inappropriate private messages to BJ Park Min-jeong in the same year. Following this, Lee decided to leave CNBLUE and effectively disappeared from entertainment activities.

Approximately eight years have passed since then.

This return to SNS is not a declaration that he will continue his past entertainment activities as they were, but rather holds significance in that a person who has kept their distance from the public for a long time is revealing their current self for the first time.

It is also noteworthy that Lee, who chose silence following the controversy, is now putting forward the expression "human Lee Jong-hyun" instead of the past modifiers that were attached to his name.

However, as the past controversy was significant, it appears difficult for the public's perspective on his return to change instantly. Ultimately, how he will prove his change through his future attitudes and actions will be the crucial factor in re-establishing a relationship with the public.