The group AKMU (AKMU) Lee Chanhyuk and Lee Suhyun said they overcame a slump.
On the 1st episode of tvN's You Quiz on the Block, AKMU Lee Chanhyuk and Lee Suhyun appeared and talked with Yu Jae-seok.
AKMU, which established a new agency and began activities. The two, who still showed the oppositional genuine sibling chemistry, looked different from when they appeared on You Quiz five years ago. Lee Chanhyuk, who recently won three awards at the Korean Music Awards, said, "Being able to receive awards while promoting made me think it was such an amazing thing, so I am grateful. AKMU did not receive that many awards compared with expectations. But I never imagined I would win three awards as a solo artist. This is an achievement. I have taken one step closer to being in a biographical book." Lee Suhyun responded with a deadpan "That's amazing," which drew laughter.
AKMU's new agency is called "Yeonggam-ui Saengteo". Lee Chanhyuk said, "From the audition before debut, the question I heard until it drilled into my ear was 'Where do you get your inspiration?' Because of the nonstop inquiries, we decided to name our company the spring of inspiration. We call the staff by the honorific 'Inspiration'." Lee Chanhyuk serves as the spring master and Lee Suhyun is the princess. Staff testified, "We actually call her princess," which drew laughter. Staff said, "I thought the company benefits would be worse than my previous workplace, but after actually enjoying it, it was better than I expected. I feel like I can stake my life on this," they said.
Regarding the brother being the CEO and spring master, Lee Suhyun said, "It's good and comfortable because my brother does everything. There's almost nothing I need to worry about, but that increases how much I watch my brother. With fewer roles, my claims inevitably become fewer." Yu Jae-seok agreed, saying, "The right to speak corresponds to responsibility," and Lee Suhyun showed a changed tone, saying, "There's nothing wrong with listening to my brother." Lee Chanhyuk left an enigmatic remark, saying, "The last story ended with Lee Suhyun's slump."
Currently, AKMU are living together at Lee Chanhyuk's suggestion. Lee Chanhyuk said, "You can't explain it with the word 'slump.' It looked difficult because she became independent without properly learning how to live alone." Lee Suhyun said, "What started as a slump about work and enduring painful feelings turned into a severe slump about life." Lee Suhyun said the slump began from the time Lee Chanhyuk enlisted, "The emptiness left by my brother was much larger than I expected, and no matter how much I thought I could fill that gap, I couldn't even fill half of it. The disappointment I felt in myself from that was great. Thinking I was nothing hurt me, and I endured with a painful heart until my brother returned. I thought it would be solved when my brother came back, but he ran forward like a racehorse. As his color deepened and he had things he wanted to do, the joy of doing things together began to disappear. I said I would give up AKMU if you tell me how to do music this way. Singing, producing and performing weren't enjoyable, and from that time I started a hikikomori life. I blocked out sunlight and lived like that for about two years. I gave up on the future and thought there was no better future for me. I didn't even know how serious my condition was because of the lethargy, but when my brother came he said, 'You say you're fine but you look the most dangerous,' and made many small suggestions. I thought if I could live like before, I should hold on to him," she said.
Lee Chanhyuk said, "I tried not to have regrets. Looking 10, 20 years ahead, I thought if I didn't take care of Suhyun now, she would ask later, 'Why didn't you hold me then?' Seeing that future, I didn't want to be that kind of person." He added that Lee Suhyun said, "If I leave you as you are, I might never see you again." She said she was scared because she thought that future might come someday, he said. Lee Chanhyuk said, "When I imagined Lee Suhyun not being in front of my eyes, I felt I hadn't done my best. I felt that when she was within my range, I should do what I could, and that was producing Suhyun's life. I wanted my sister to feel the world I had seen."
Lee Chanhyuk gifted Lee Suhyun a song called "Sunlight Bless You." After hearing the song and seeing sunlight again, Lee Suhyun was told by Lee Chanhyuk, "I believe in the power of words. Because I think people become what they say, the reason I had Suhyun sing this song before its release was to let the power of words be applied." Lee Chanhyuk worked to help Lee Suhyun escape her slump. He said, "Lee Suhyun was in a situation where she couldn't do anything immediately. So I couldn't force her to do things; she was at the stage of trying to live healthily." Lee Suhyun said, "I was so tired of other people caring about me. When I went to music shows, everyone was skinny, and I was always the one who had to lose weight. Slump and self-censorship overlapped and I let everything go. The thing that filled the mental emptiness most was food. I would binge eat every day. Naturally I gained weight rapidly and got stretch marks. With my self-esteem and confidence at rock bottom, I withdrew from interacting with people. My social anxiety worsened and I became afraid of people looking at me."
Lee Chanhyuk took drastic measures and began living with Lee Suhyun. Recently he ran a mental reset camp for Lee Suhyun. Lee Suhyun said, "I did about three weeks of hard training. For hunger I hardly ate. I ate only chicken breast and exercised all day. Because my brother is a marine corps veteran, he applied a routine," and added, "I might have run away from home otherwise, but I grew a lot."
Recently Lee Chanhyuk and Lee Suhyun also walked the Camino de Santiago. Lee Suhyun said, "On the pilgrimage trail I was always last and my brother was always first. He has good stamina and a clear goal about arriving, so his tendencies showed on the trail as well. The arrival times were two to three hours apart, and I wondered why I couldn't walk with him. We could be together briefly, but keeping the same pace was hard. I walked at my own tempo and when I arrived at the Santiago cathedral I was grouped as a 'pilgrim.' I thought walking at the same speed was important, but I realized we walked the same path and arrived at the same place. Being able to follow from behind and have somewhere to follow is a great presence."
Especially Lee Suhyun said, "Living together in training is uncomfortable at times, but if last year hadn't happened I truly couldn't imagine my current future. Thinking back three years, I never thought I would be smiling in front of the camera again. Living with my brother allowed me to smile in front of the camera again, and I consider it a blessing that he at least somewhat listens to what I say. One person I trust tried to save me. I am grateful for that." Lee Chanhyuk replied, "I am grateful too. It's a thankful thing that she follows and believes in me."
AKMU, who are about to release their fourth studio album. Lee Chanhyuk said the album title is 'Blooming' and briefly played "joy, sorrow, beautiful feelings," raising expectations. Lee Chanhyuk said, "Today was good. Thank you for trusting me and following like this." Lee Suhyun said, "I never thought a day like this would come, and being able to be like this is thanks to my brother and the coach. Without the two of them I don't think I would be happy."
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