South Korean 'Ballad Queen' Lee Soo-young (이수영, born Lee Ji-yeon) debuted in 1999 with the song "I Believe," quickly rising to fame with her delicate and melancholic voice. She became a representative ballad singer in the Korean music scene, carving out her own path with unique vocal color and solid singing skills during an era dominated by first-generation idol groups like H.O.T., Sechs Kies, and Shinhwa. Songs such as "I Believe," "Never Again," "And I Love You," "La La La," "Whi-li-li," and "Grace" remain classic favorites for many fans today.
Now, Lee Soo-young faces a family tragedy. She recently announced a temporary leave from her long-running radio program after her 16-year-old son was suddenly diagnosed with leukemia and is currently hospitalized for treatment. Following this news, her past hardships, including experiences with domestic violence and losing all her savings to fraud, have once again garnered attention.
On October 5, Lee Soo-young revealed through an announcement on the official website of CBS Music FM's "Lee Soo-young's 12 O'Clock Meeting" (이수영의 12시에 만납시다) that her son suddenly felt unwell before the Chuseok holiday. After medical examination, he was diagnosed with "acute T-cell lymphoblastic leukemia" and has since been hospitalized, beginning treatment.
She expressed that despite his young age, her son has to endure a series of difficult tests and treatments, but he has shown more courage than she expected. "My child is holding on more bravely and strongly than I, his mother, could have imagined," she said. She added that she would stay by her son's side, striving to adjust her emotions and help him get through each day of treatment.
Given the anticipated lengthy treatment period, especially the intensive chemotherapy required in the initial stages, Lee Soo-young admitted that she can barely leave her son's side. Therefore, she decided to temporarily suspend her radio hosting duties to fully dedicate herself to accompanying her son through his treatment.
As news of her son's leukemia diagnosis emerged, Lee Soo-young's past difficult upbringing has resurfaced. She had previously revealed that she experienced domestic violence from her stepfather during her childhood, leaving an indelible scar.
Lee Soo-young once shared on the CBS program "May You Be Renewed" (새롭게 하소서) that her father passed away in a car accident when she was 10, and her mother later remarried. However, her life became even harder after her mother's remarriage, describing her stepfather as "the typical bad stepfather."
One particular incident remains unforgettable for her. Lee Soo-young recalled coming home from school one day and witnessing her stepfather stepping on her younger brother. At the time, she was only a high school student and powerless to protect her family. She confessed, "If I resisted too fiercely, my mother would suffer greatly; but if I didn't protect my brother, I didn't know what might happen."
All she could do then was cry loudly, trying to stop her stepfather, even losing control of her bladder and fainting due to extreme fear. She also revealed that unspeakable things often happened in their home, and she lived under immense stress for a long time.
Beyond the trauma of childhood domestic violence, Lee Soo-young also suffered a severe fraud incident at age 30. She disclosed that the savings she painstakingly earned in her 20s were almost entirely wiped out by her 30s, not only losing everything but also incurring debt. She once admitted on a program, "When I was 30, I was severely swindled. All the money I earned in my 20s was lost in my 30s, and I even accumulated debt." This experience also caused her long-term psychological distress.
Lee Soo-young has also previously shared that she has been undergoing psychological treatment for eight years, having struggled with depression, panic attacks, and obsessive-compulsive symptoms. After the fraud incident, she consistently received regular therapy, striving to manage her condition.
Lee Soo-young's life journey has been full of twists and turns, and now she faces the blow of her son's leukemia diagnosis. Following the news, many fans have offered words of encouragement to the mother and son, with comments like, "Please hang in there, receive treatment well, you will definitely overcome it," "I feel like a mother's heart is broken," "As a mother, I truly understand, I'm rooting for you," and "I believe you can get through this."
Facing yet another challenge in life, Lee Soo-young has chosen to put her work aside and focus on accompanying her son through treatment, hoping that mother and son can safely navigate this difficult period.
