Former CNBLUE member Jonghyun (Lee Jong Hyun) briefly returned to social media after eight years, expressing his intention to communicate with fans and the public again, only to reverse course a day later and announce that he would return to a completely private, non-celebrity life. On August 10, Lee Jong Hyun reactivated his personal social media account, which he had left dormant for approximately eight years, and shared updates about his life. He explained that he had requested changes to his username and profile introduction because the account had been hacked. He also posted photos and videos of himself working in an office and testing cosmetics. "There were a few years when I turned my back on the world. After that, I learned how to work so I could keep living," he wrote, revealing that he had been learning about marketing in the beauty industry. He continued, "From now on, I want to live as Lee Jong Hyun, the person, and communicate with more people," signaling his intention to resume his social media activities in earnest. However, on August 11, Lee Jong Hyun sparked another wave of attention by posting a lengthy statement about his feelings. He began by saying, "I want to share something I've kept in my heart for a long time," before expressing his regret that the members of CNBLUE had also faced misunderstandings and criticism because of his past actions. Addressing speculation that he had fallen out with his former bandmates, Lee Jong Hyun directly clarified, "Some fans may have thought that I was shunned by the members, but that is absolutely not true." He added, "Leaving the team was entirely my own fault and my own choice." His original draft also drew particular attention for containing details about his previously private personal life. After leaving the entertainment industry, Lee revealed that he had "started a family, but am currently in the process of ending the relationship so that we can each go our separate ways," directly alluding to his marriage and subsequent separation. However, the post was suddenly deleted shortly after being published. When a revised version of the statement was uploaded, all specific references to his marriage and separation had been removed. Lee instead replaced that section with the more ambiguous statement that "there were also various hardships in my personal life after leaving the entertainment industry." Lee also addressed speculation that his recent posts about working as a beauty marketer were intended to promote a new business or brand. He firmly denied the claims, stating, "This is absolutely not a post written to make a comeback to the entertainment industry." He emphasized that some of the brands and products currently being mentioned on social media have no direct connection to him. Ultimately, Lee Jong Hyun's promise to reconnect with the public came to an end just one day later. At the end of his revised statement, he wrote, "With this post, I do not intend to engage in any further social media activities or additional communication." He added, "I will return completely to the ordinary life of a non-celebrity, reflect on my past, and live an upright life that I will not be ashamed of in this society," making it clear that he intends to cease all future public communication. Lee Jong Hyun was previously identified as an individual involved in the so-called "Jung Joon Young group chat" controversy that rocked South Korea in 2019. At the time, his agency acknowledged and apologized for Lee's viewing of illegally filmed videos in a group chat and his participation in degrading and sexually inappropriate conversations about women. The controversy intensified after it was additionally revealed that Lee had sent private messages to a female streamer while serving in the military. Following the growing backlash, Lee left CNBLUE later that year and completely halted his entertainment activities.
