Controversial, Disgraced Idol Resurfaces After Disappearing For 8 Years

In November 2018, a man named Kim Sang Kyo was reportedly assaulted at the Burning Sun, a Gangnam club owned by ex-BIGBANG‘s Seungri, after he stepped in to help a woman who was being sexually harassed. Following this altercation was a series of investigations into Burning Sun and Seungri that unveiled a web of interconnected crimes, including gambling, drug distribution, and sexual assault.

One of the most shocking portions of the investigation unveiled the existence of group chats where secretly taken illegal sex videos were shared by its members, who included celebrities. Several faced charges and were inprisioned, while others involved saw major damage done to their careers.

Included in this was Lee Jonghyun, a member of CNBLUE.

Lee Jonghyun initially denied any involvement, but ultimately admitted to viewing illegally filmed videos sent to him by Jung Joon Young. Jonghyun left CNBLUE in 2019, following another scandal involving allegedly inappropriate messages sent to a YouTuber.

Lee Jonghyun Announces He Will Leave CNBLUE Due To His Scandals

Since then, there has been no update from the former idol, who seemed to have simply vanished.

On August 10, Jonghyun updated his Instagram with a post featuring several photos that showed his life. In the caption, he shared the reason for his return to the account and his new career.

This is Lee Jong Hyun.

I left this account inactive for eight years. The account was hacked, and I have requested that the ID and bio be changed, but the changes are still pending. There were several years when I turned my back on the world. After that, I learned how to work and live again.For the past eight years, although it’s been on a small scale, I’ve found beauty-related marketing interesting and have been working professionally in the field. This is what my days look like these days.

I attend meetings, open and examine products, and think about how I can do things better. I leave home in the morning and come back at night. I’ve come to realize how difficult it is to simply live an ordinary life and go to work every day. I think everyone is truly amazing.

From now on, as Lee Jong Hyun, the person, I want to communicate with more people and continue living my life.

Have a happy day!

— Jonghyun

Unlike Jonghyun, some of the others involved in the scandal made attempts to return to entertainment, which you can read about below.

6 Years Later — What Are The 7 Male Idols Involved In The Burning Sun Scandal Doing Now