With the support of his twin sons Seo-eon and Seo-jun, Lee Hwi-jae returned after four years.
On the 28th, the KBS2 show Immortal Songs aired 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 'Haeg' team), Lee Chan-seok, Lee Hwi-jae, Cho Hye-lyeon, and Hong Seok-cheon, for a total of 10 teams.
The performer who drew the most attention that day was undoubtedly Lee Hwi-jae. Earlier, Lee Hwi-jae halted his broadcasting activities in 2022 amid controversy over his on-air behavior and subsequent controversies surrounding his family. Afterward, he left for Canada with his wife and the twins and was beset by rumors of immigration and retirement. Spending time going back and forth between Canada and Korea, he appeared before the public about four years later to share his recent life.
Asked about how he had been, Lee Hwi-jae cautiously began, "To say I've been well would honestly be a lie. Going back and forth between the kids and my wife (between Korea and Canada) gave me a lot of time for personal reflection."
He continued, "If I talk about the four years it gets too long. I spent precious time with my family and, because I made many mistakes, it was time to go over them one by one," confessing that he had taken time for self-reflection.
What moved viewers most was the story of his twins Seo-eon and Seo-jun, who are now first-year middle school students. Lee Hwi-jae said, "Actually, those kids have reached the age where they know exactly what their dad does. When they were little they didn't know. They said they thought I was a dad who went to exercise. As four years passed, they came to understand precisely the situations where I had to step back because of various mistakes of mine," he revealed.
The children, who quietly endured their father's absence, expressed their sincerity in letters. Lee Hwi-jae said, "They don't say it, but they wrote letters. They wrote that they want me to work," as he relayed their encouragement and finally broke down in tears. He said, "They'll be so happy to see me on TV. They know I released an album. They sing along to 'Say Goodbye.' They brag to their friends. They say our dad released an album," showing his deep affection for his children.
[Photo] Broadcast screen capture
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