He declared he would not be returning to the industry.
Koreaboo
Recently, former CNBLUE member Lee Jonghyun made a surprising return.
Lee Jonghyun left CNBLUE following various scandals, including one accusing him of involvement in the Burning Sun chatrooms. Lee Jonghyun initially denied any involvement but ultimately admitted to viewing illegally filmed videos that Jung Joon Young had sent him, and speaking about the women included in them vulgarly.
The former idol initially posted on Instagram, sharing snippets of his life and details about his current activities.
Controversial, Disgraced Idol Resurfaces After Disappearing For 8 Years
This met with some backlash, prompting the idol to share another post online.
In this new post, made up entirely of text, Jonghyun first addresses CNBLUE and his reason for leaving.
I would like to share something that I have kept in my heart for a long time.
I was once a member of CNBLUE, but due to my own immaturity, I left the group. It has now been eight years since I distanced myself from the world and lived away from the public eye.
Although I have spent these years living as a private individual rather than a public figure, I have always carried a burden in my heart knowing that, because of my past actions, the group and its members were subjected to unwanted misunderstandings and criticism.
Some of the fans who cared about me at the time may have believed that I had been abandoned by the members, but that is absolutely not true. It has always pained me that, because of this misunderstanding, the members were made to suffer hurt that they never wanted or deserved.
At the time, because of personal circumstances and mistakes that I was too ashamed to fully disclose, I was afraid that remaining in the group would cause even greater harm and leave an even bigger stain on the team. Leaving the group was entirely my own fault and my own decision, and the responsibility for that was something I had to bear myself.
Because I was ashamed of my actions at the time and felt a strong sense of responsibility for them, I chose to leave the entertainment industry and live disconnected from the world.
— Portion of his letter
In a deleted first version of the post, Jonghyun also shared more information about his personal life, including that he had started a family but was apparently going through a divorce.
Since leaving the entertainment industry, my personal life has faced many challenges. I built a family, but we are now in the process of parting ways to pursue our own paths.
Jonhyun in the deleted post.
You can read more about the scandal below.
6 Years Later — What Are The 7 Male Idols Involved In The Burning Sun Scandal Doing Now