Lee Jung-jae reveals severe skin issues forced one-year acting hiatus

Actor Lee Jung-jae revealed on November 13 that severe skin issues starting last autumn forced him into a nearly one-year hiatus from acting. He has used the unexpected break to personally develop a line of cosmetics that will launch in a few days.

Actor Lee Jung-jae has revealed the reason behind his forced nearly one-year hiatus from acting due to severe skin issues. As a global star who has been working without rest, his disclosure that unexpected health problems forced him to leave filming sets has drawn significant attention from fans. Notably, he has turned this unexpected gap into a new challenge by personally developing cosmetics.

On the 13th, Lee Jung-jae posted a video on his social media to share his recent status with fans. In the video, he offered a warm greeting, saying, "Today is already November 13. 2026 is already passing by. How have you all been?" He then directly explained the reason he could not properly continue the acting activities he had planned for this year, revealing the difficulties he faced.

He stated, "I intended to work hard this year by doing movies or dramas, but my skin became very bad starting last autumn." He further confessed, "The situation became so serious that I absolutely could not film, so I was forced to rest this year." His explanation suggests that it went beyond simple poor condition or temporary skin troubles, reaching a point where standing in front of a camera was difficult. Despite his strong will to work, the unexpected skin issues effectively halted his acting activities for nearly a year.

The unexpected hiatus became an opportunity for another challenge for Lee Jung-jae. He revealed that during his rest period, he personally developed cosmetics that people with similar skin concerns to his own can use. Given that he, as an actor, is more sensitive than anyone to his outward appearance shown to the public, his connection of personal experience to product development has drawn attention. He expanded the hardships he experienced due to skin issues into a new business endeavor.

Lee Jung-jae could not hide his anticipation and tension, noting that the cosmetics launch is only a few days away. He expressed, "I am quite nervous, almost as if I am ahead of a movie release." He explained that he feels a different kind of excitement compared to when presenting a work. As he is challenging a new field apart from his long experience as an actor, his feelings ahead of the product launch appear to be unique.

In particular, Lee Jung-jae drew interest by revealing he is debating whether to release past photos of his poor skin condition. He expressed the pressure of releasing those photos, saying, "The staff suggested releasing old photos, but I said absolutely not." He candidly confessed, "I felt like everyone would leave if they saw my bad skin." This moment clearly shows the pressure to always show a perfect image to the public and the psychological shrinking caused by skin issues.

Nevertheless, Lee Jung-jae left open the possibility that his experience could deliver a positive message to others. He stated, "I wonder if I can give hope and courage to people who had bad skin like me," adding that he would consider the decision to release the photos further. While it may be a memory he personally wishes to hide, it is interpreted that he finds meaning in the fact that it could serve as an example showing the possibility of recovery to those experiencing similar concerns.

Lee Jung-jae rose to become a global star through the Netflix series 'Squid Game,' and he has not met viewers with a new work since the tvN drama 'Nice to Not Meet You,' which ended last December. As he has been continuing a brilliant global trajectory while undergoing an unexpected rest due to skin issues, attention is focused on what new side he will show ahead of the launch of the cosmetics he developed himself.

Read the original (Korean)