Former CNBLUE Member Lee Jong-hyun Resurfaces After 8 Years, Shares New Life Away From Spotlight

Former CNBLUE member Lee Jong-hyun (이종현), who stepped away from the entertainment industry years ago following a series of controversies including South Korea's 'Burning Sun' scandal, recently updated his social media account. He shared glimpses of his life out of the spotlight, igniting widespread discussion among Korean netizens. His reappearance has also brought renewed attention to the controversies he faced in 2019, particularly his involvement in the illegal sex video scandal with Jung Joon-young (정준영) and others.

Lee Jong-hyun debuted as a member of CNBLUE in 2010, gaining popularity with hits like "I'm a Loner" and "Love Light." He later expanded his career into acting, appearing in dramas such as SBS's A Gentleman's Dignity, KBS 2TV's Girls' Generation 1979, and OCN's That Man Oh Soo, pursuing both singing and acting careers.

However, in the spring of 2019, while serving in the military, Lee Jong-hyun became embroiled in the 'Burning Sun' scandal, which rocked the Korean entertainment industry. He was revealed to be a member of a chat group involving Jung Joon-young and others, where illegal sex videos were shared. Reports indicated that he received sex-related videos through both group and one-on-one chats with Jung Joon-young, and his messages objectified women, with phrases like, "I XXXXed with those girls OO yesterday," "Give me women quickly," and "Are there no young and pretty Xs?" The leaked conversations sparked public outrage and severely damaged his public image. Lee Jong-hyun issued an apology at the time, stating, "I am sorry for causing harm to the members," before announcing his withdrawal from CNBLUE and suspending all entertainment activities.