A photo posted by the Ex-CNBlue guitarist Lee Jong-hyun on his Instagram on Aug. 10.SCREEN CAPTURE
Lee Jong-hyun, the former CNBlue guitarist whose career ended with the 2019 Jung Joon-young chat room scandal, posted on Instagram on Monday for the first time since he left the band. He says he now works in beauty marketing.
"This is Lee Jong-hyun," he wrote in a long note. "I left this account empty for eight years. The account was hacked, and even now I have a request in to fix the handle and the bio.
"There were a few years I spent with my back turned to the world. After that, I learned a trade so I could get by. It is small, but for eight years I have enjoyed beauty marketing and done it professionally."
He posted photographs of himself at work under the line "This is my day these days."
"I have meetings, I open up products and I think about how to do it better," he wrote. "I leave in the morning and come home at night. I have learned how hard it is to live an ordinary working life. I think everyone is amazing. From now on, I will live communicating with more people as Lee Jong-hyun the person. I hope you have a happy day."
The post does not refer to the case that ended his career.
Lee debuted with CNBlue in 2010 as the band's lead guitarist and a vocalist. In March 2019, broadcaster SBS reported that he had exchanged messages with Jung via KakaoTalk, where Jung had shared secretly recorded videos of himself having sex with women.
Lee's agency, FNC Entertainment, confirmed that he had watched videos that were filmed without the women's consent and had taken part in conversations demeaning women. Police questioned him at his military unit that month. Lee was never charged, and he has not worked in entertainment since.
A photo posted by the Ex-CNBlue guitarist Lee Jong-hyun on his Instagram on Aug. 10.SCREEN CAPTURE
Jung was convicted in November 2019 of gang rape and of illegally filming and distributing sexual videos. He served a five-year sentence and was released in March 2024.
Lee left CNBlue on Aug. 28, 2019, in a statement released through FNC Entertainment. The announcement came hours after screenshots circulated of Instagram messages in which he had commented on a YouTuber's body.
"I apologize once again to those who were hurt by my inappropriate words and conduct and to everyone who was deeply disappointed," Lee said in the statement. "[…] I have also disappointed the fans who believed in me, and I am ashamed and cannot face them."
BY KIM EUN-BIN [cho.yongjun1@joongang.co.kr]
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
