Lee So-ra: "Weight reached 100kg due to health issues—6-year hiatus"

Singer Lee So-ra is opening up for the first time about the reasons behind her long hiatus ahead of releasing new music for the first time in about seven years. She candidly shared her journey of returning to the public eye, revealing how her weight surged to nearly 100kg due to deteriorating health, making even daily life difficult.

A pre-release video released by tvN's variety program 'You Quiz on the Block' on the 9th shows Lee, appearing on broadcast after a long time, calmly discussing the physical and psychological changes she experienced during her hiatus. The episode is scheduled to air on the 15th at 8:45 PM.

When MC Yoo Jae-suk cautiously asked, "I heard you stayed home," Lee replied, "I was very sick."

She continued, recalling those times, "My weight was around 90 to 100kg. My blood pressure was so high that I couldn't breathe properly and couldn't sleep well. It was a truly terrible time." Lee's unexpected confession, as one of Korea's most iconic female vocalists, brought sadness to both the cast and her fans.

She revealed that during the long hiatus, she had no choice but to focus on recovering her health rather than performing on stage. She explained that because her physical condition was poor for a long time, daily life itself was difficult, leading her to naturally distance herself from the public.

Previously, on the 7th, Lee also mentioned the reason for her weight change on singer Sung Si-kyung's YouTube content.

At that time, when Sung remarked, "You lost a lot of weight," Lee explained, "I lost several dozen kilograms. I have been losing weight for over a year since early 2025, but it wasn't a diet; I lost weight because I was sick." She explained that her weight had increased significantly due to health issues and then decreased naturally during the recovery process.

After regaining her health, she resumed musical activities but also shared her honest feelings about her changed physical condition.

"My voice hasn't become particularly better," Lee said. "I wanted to sing even better today, but I feel like it might be difficult to sing with the same level of concentration as before. My energy isn't what it used to be." She continued to evoke empathy by candidly sharing the struggle between her desire to show a perfect image and her current reality.

Having debuted in 1993, Lee established herself as a top-tier female vocalist in Korea, releasing numerous hits such as "I am Happy," "Proposal," "Please," and "The Wind Blows." Loved for her unique, delicate sensibility and unrivaled tone, she has actively continued her career in broadcasting, performances, and music, but has spent the last few years in a long hiatus due to health problems.

Her recently released new song, "I Will Forget Your Face Entirely," is her first new release in about seven years since "Request Song" in 2019, excluding OSTs. Attention is gathering toward the sincere stories and musical truths Lee will share on this broadcast as she stands before the public again after overcoming her health struggles.