Broadcaster Lee Hwi-jae stood before the camera for the first time in four years amid multiple controversies and criticism. Lee Hwi-jae showed tears as soon as he greeted the audience, revealing his conflicted feelings.
On the afternoon of the 21st, the KBS 2TV entertainment program 'Unforgettable Songs' aired part two of a memorial special for the late Kim Kwang-seok's 30th anniversary. That day's winner was the band Touched.
But the main figure of that day's 'Unforgettable Songs' was not the winning team Touched but Lee Hwi-jae. Viewers showed more interest in the short preview of Lee Hwi-jae's appearance revealed toward the end of the broadcast than in Touched. As opinions were divided from the decision to appear, there was intense interest when the preview was released.
Toward the end of the broadcast, a trailer for the '2026 entertainment industry king of entertainers' to air on the 28th was revealed. This special teased the appearances of various entertainers including Hong Seok-cheon, Park Seong-gwang, Oh Man-seok, Song Il-guk, Kim Shin-young, and LALAL.
The person who attracted particular attention was Lee Hwi-jae. With this 'Unforgettable Songs' special appearance, Lee Hwi-jae returned to television after four years. He went on stage and greeted, "It's been a while. Nice to see you, I'm Lee Hwi-jae."
In the briefly released preview, Lee Hwi-jae went on stage with a relatively calm demeanor and greeted the audience. Even before singing, he appeared lost in thought as he looked at the stage, and although calm, there was also a tense atmosphere. His appearance was not greatly different from when he was at the height of his broadcasting career, but perhaps because of the controversy and public opinion that had continued for days before his broadcast appearance, he appeared nervous.
Lee Hwi-jae went on stage, greeted the audience, and immediately showed tears. After bowing his head, he wiped his tears with his hand, revealing his complex feelings. His expression contained many thoughts.
Lee Hwi-jae recently announced his return to broadcasting through 'Unforgettable Songs.' However, debates continued over his appearance because of various suspicions that existed before his suspension of activities and the stigma of being unpopular. On the 'Unforgettable Songs' website viewer board, opinions opposing Lee Hwi-jae's appearance were posted. On the other hand, there were messages of support saying the excessive criticism was unfair since Lee Hwi-jae had not committed a crime.
Producers of 'Unforgettable Songs' explained to OSEN about recruiting Lee Hwi-jae, "These are people who were not singers but released records. Mr. Lee Hwi-jae probably considered many programs. In the meantime, discussions with our side went well, so he decided to appear."
[Photo] KBS 2TV broadcast screen capture.
[OSEN]