Broadcaster Lee Hwi-jae shed tears thinking of his twin sons at his comeback stage after four years.
On the afternoon of the 28th, KBS2's 'Unforgettable Songs' was presented as the 2026 entertainment industry king of singers special, featuring Kim Shin-young & Chun Dan-bi, Lalal, Moon Seyoon, the Gag Concert 'Chatflix' team, Park Joonhyung, Song Il-gook & Oh Man-seok (musical 'The Hague' team), Lee Chan-seok, Lee Hwi-jae, Cho Hye-lyeon and Hong Seok-cheon, with a total of 10 teams appearing.
The most notable performer that day was undoubtedly Lee Hwi-jae. Lee Hwi-jae, who appeared on television for the first time in about four years since MBN's 'Battle in the Box' ended in January 2022, had been living in Canada with his wife and twins and was swept up in rumors of immigration and retirement. After news of his appearance on 'Unforgettable Songs' was reported, heated debates followed online.
The hosts welcomed Lee Hwi-jae, saying, "He's back after four years." Hong Seok-cheon joked, "Apologize for where you've been all this time," and Lee Hwi-jae opened by saying, "I'm sorry."
Lee Hwi-jae greeted, "It's been a long time, nice to see you. I'm Lee Hwi-jae." Asked how he had been, he said, "If I say I was fine, honestly it would be a lie. Moving back and forth between Korea and Canada with the kids and my wife gave me a lot of time for personal reflection."
Cho Hye-lyeon complimented, "Your face hasn't changed. You look even more handsome," and Lee Hwi-jae replied, "Honestly, after getting the casting call I even got a massage once."
When asked if the atmosphere at the broadcasting station felt very different after four years, Lee Hwi-jae said in surprise, "It's more than different. During the opening the lights used to be so strong I'd sweat, but it's not that kind of lighting anymore."
That day Lee Hwi-jae appeared nervous throughout, attracting attention. The hosts said, "We've never seen you this nervous before."
Coming on stage fourth after Moon Seyoon, when asked about his recent life Lee Hwi-jae calmly said, "If I talk about the four years it gets too long. I spent precious time with my family, and since I've made many mistakes along the way it was a time to look back at each one."
He chose Choi Ho-seop's 'When the years go by' and said, "It matched my situation and resonated, so I dared to sing it," adding, "I was anxious. Since it has been a while, singing brought pressure. A few weeks ago I was startled in a dream. I was recording and had to speak, but my mouth wouldn't open. I realized I had taken a long break from broadcasting."
In a pre-recorded interview Lee Hwi-jae said, "After getting the casting call and seeing the articles I had expectations, so I texted the production team. I said it would be okay not to appear if it became too burdensome, but the production team kindly gave me a lot of support."
He said he even cried during rehearsal and added, "I was lacking, insufficient, and made mistakes, and I think no one knows those things better than oneself. You can't turn back time now, so if something is given to me I thought I should just do my best with it."
On stage, Lee Hwi-jae told the audience, "I am grateful and sorry; many emotions are mixed. Coming to the broadcasting station, my name will be mentioned again, I suppose. I hope people understand that this guy must have thought a lot during the four years," and said, "The song I'll sing today is senior Choi Ho-seop's 'When the years go by,' and I'll try to sing it as plainly and honestly as possible."
Singing plainly and sincerely, Lee Hwi-jae came down from the stage and steadied himself with an expression reflecting many mixed emotions.
Asked by Shin Dong-yeob how he felt about being cast, he said, "I couldn't put it into words. I wondered if I would get another chance. Ironically, the day I received the casting call was my mother's anniversary. I felt my mother was helping me," and he added, "I pray a lot every day. When I worked a lot I didn't know the value of it. I love the road to Yeouido. I love meeting colleagues and getting energy from them, and honestly I was so happy when I got the casting call."
Lee Hwi-jae said his twins Seo-eon and Seo-jun are already first-year middle school students and said, "Actually they are now at an age when they know exactly what their dad does. When they were young they didn't know well. They said they thought I was a dad who went to exercise. As four years passed, they came to understand the situations caused by my various mistakes that led me to rest. They didn't say it out loud, but they wrote me a letter. They said they want me to work."
Talking about his children and shedding tears, he said, "They will be so happy to see me on TV. They know I released an album. They sing along to 'Say Goodbye.' They boast to their friends saying, 'My dad even released an album.'"
Lee Hwi-jae defeated Moon Seyoon to earn one win but surrendered the first-part championship to Kim Shin-young & Chun Dan-bi's team.
[Photo] Broadcast screen capture
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