Lee Jong-hyun, who left CNBLUE over the "Jung Joon-young group chat" scandal, expressed remorse to his former members in a lengthy post and confessed personal family matters.
Lee Jong-hyun said on the 11th, "I want to share a story I have kept in my heart for a long time," and opened up, "I was once a member of CNBLUE, but due to my inappropriate words and behavior and immaturity, I left the team and have lived apart from the world, and already eight years have passed."
Earlier, Lee Jong-hyun enlisted for active duty in the army in August 2018, and in March of the following year, while still serving, he was engulfed in controversy when it became known that he was a member of the so-called "Jung Joon-young group chat." At the time, through his former agency FNC Entertainment Co., he bowed his head and said, "I apologize once again to those who were hurt by my inappropriate words and behavior and to everyone who was greatly disappointed. Although late, I want to say that I am leaving CNBLUE."
He said, "Even while living as a civilian, I always carried the burden in my heart that, because of my past behavior, the team and members suffered unwanted misunderstandings and criticism. Some fans who cared for me at the time may have thought I was ostracized by the members, but that is not true at all, and it always pained me that the members suffered wounds they did not want because of that," adding, "Because of my personal shameful circumstances and lapses that I could not fully disclose then, I feared that remaining in the team would instead leave greater damage and stain on the team. Leaving the team was entirely my fault and choice, and that responsibility was mine to bear," explaining that the CNBLUE members did not shun him.
Lee Jong-hyun said he left the team and the entertainment industry because of shame over inappropriate words and actions and a sense of responsibility, and he said he "chose to live cut off from the world."
Speaking for the first time in eight years, Lee Jong-hyun also mentioned his personal life, saying, "After leaving the entertainment industry, my personal life also went through many trials. I formed a family but we are in the process of sorting things out for each other's paths," and he added, "But now I will not avoid my past wrongs; I will face them and come out into the world to live with dignity as a human being," confessing his divorce from his ex-wife.
Lee Jong-hyun also drew a line, saying he has no interest in returning to the entertainment industry. He said, "This post is by no means written to return to the entertainment industry. Related to the work I am currently doing as a civilian, I had the courage to write this post to clarify facts and prevent unverified rumors or misunderstandings from arising about certain brands and business matters. I sincerely apologize to and thank the CNBLUE members who have suffered from unnecessary misunderstandings for a long time, and I want to correct the wrong misunderstandings," revealing his sincerity.
Meanwhile, on the 10th, Lee Jong-hyun posted on his personal social media, "There were years when I turned my back on the world. Since then I learned to work to try to live," and revealed his recent status as a company employee, saying, "It is small, but for eight years I have enjoyed and worked professionally in beauty marketing." Photos of him in a comfortable T-shirt sitting in front of a computer concentrating on work drew attention.
[Photo] OSEN DB, Lee Jong-hyun SNS
[OSEN]