Former Jewelry member Lee Ji-hyun regrets quitting hairdresser job

Former Jewelry member Lee Ji-hyun revealed on the YouTube channel 'Hyunsaeng Mode Queen Jihyun' that staying home to be a "five-minute standby" mom has led to more frequent clashes with her children. Despite leaving her position at JUNO HAIR to be more available, Lee reported that housework and constant childcare have made her busier than when she was employed.

Lee Ji-hyun, a former member of the group Jewelry, has revealed that although she quit her job as a hairdresser to be there for her children, her daily life has become even more demanding than expected. As a single mother, she made the major decision to be more available for her children, but staying at home more often has instead led to more frequent clashes with them. Her honest confession highlights the reality that while she has left her workplace, a mother's labor never truly ends.

On the YouTube channel 'Hyunsaeng Mode Queen Jihyun', a video titled "I'm resigning... A mother's life as an unemployed person" was released on the 12th. The video captures the daily life of Lee Ji-hyun after leaving JUNO HAIR, where she had been working as a hairdresser. She shared her realistic concerns as a single mother, from the reasons she decided to leave her job to how her life has changed since her resignation.

The primary reason Lee Ji-hyun decided to resign was her children. "Since I am a single mom, things like getting a call from school saying the children are injured and need to go to the hospital still happen frequently, and I can't rush to them immediately in those moments," she explained. She continued, "I wanted to be a 'five-minute standby' mom for my children, so as a single mom, I made a big decision despite having such a good job." Although she was highly satisfied with her workplace and felt great affection for her colleagues, she ultimately set aside her work to be by her children's side when they needed her.

She did not hide the regret she felt during the resignation process. "It is such a great place to work, and I grew very fond of the people. I cried from the morning," Lee confessed. Because it was not just about leaving a job but leaving a precious workplace and colleagues, it was an emotionally difficult decision. While it was a choice made for her children, she also had to deal with the reality of giving up her work and relationships.

However, once she resigned and stayed at home, the situation turned out to be entirely different from the relaxation she had expected. While leaving the house to attend an awards ceremony, Lee was asked by the production crew if she had been resting since her resignation, to which she lamented, "I am fighting from morning until night. Because I am at home, we fight even more." She added, "Everything I missed because I was busy is visible now. It is hard because we fight so much." She explained that as she began to notice the daily lives of her children that she had not been able to observe while working, conflicts became more frequent.

Housework did not decrease just because she resigned. From organizing her children's clothes as the seasons changed, Lee took charge of various household chores. "Since the season changed, I took all the clothes out. Putting summer clothes away and bringing winter clothes out. A mother cannot rest. I would rather go to work," she said, raising her voice, adding, "Housework is truly no joke." While her job had set tasks and hours, her home presented endless childcare and housework.

In the video description, she specifically detailed the hardships following her resignation. "I am busier than before, with a mountain of tasks like hospital visits, banking, and organizing children's clothes that I had postponed when I was an employee," Lee stated. "Since I am with my children 24 hours a day now, I wonder why we clash so much." She added, "I hope this provides strength to all working moms and those living their own lives." Through her experience, she conveyed a message of empathy and support to women balancing work and childcare.

Lee Ji-hyun is raising a son and a daughter alone after divorcing twice in 2016 and 2020. She began a second chapter of her life by challenging herself to a new profession after obtaining a national hairdresser certification in 2025, but she has once again made the choice to set aside her work for her children. Through her honest confession, the reality of a single mother struggling between work and childcare, and the endless labor endured in the name of being a mother, is being highlighted once again.

Read the original (Korean)