On the November 5 episode of the YouTube channel CBS Renew, missionary Lee Seong-geun better known as the father of AKMU talked about his daughter Lee Su-hyun’s emotional breakdown and the evolution of the relationship between the two brothers.
Titled “The roots of AKMU: a father’s life and faith,” the video featured Lee sharing behind-the-scenes stories ACMUTheir rise to fame and the personal battles they faced along the way. He recalled when his children attended SBS’ K-pop Star 2where in the end they won: “The guys said they wanted to give it a try. I thought they wouldn’t last long, maybe they’d get knocked out in the first few rounds. I had to go back to Mongolia, so I told them I’d keep going and that they could join me when I finished. But six or seven months later, they ended up winning.”
Lee Su-hyun and his brother Chanhyuk were home-schooled in Mongolia and were each other’s only friends during their upbringing. However, Chanhyuk’s military enlistment triggered a long period of emotional struggle for Su-hyun.
“At first we didn’t realize what was happening” Lee said. “Through a broadcast, we later learned that Su-hyun had always enjoyed singing while Chanhyuk took the lead. But when he enlisted, she was forced to take full responsibility. That fear and pressure began her breakdown. She told us, ‘Now I understand what kind of burden my brother carried alone.'”
According to his father, Su-hyun’s emotional exhaustion began around the time of Chanhyuk’s enlistment. “She tried to make up for her absence by working harder, but this completely drained her energy. Neither we nor she recognized it at the time,” he explained. “Since March the two have been living together again and the whole family is focused on supporting her.”
Chanhyuk also responded in his own way. He wrote the song “Love Lee” for Su-hyun, a breakthrough track. “It seems that Chanhyuk had a revelation during his military service,” the father noted. “He realized that he had to do what he really wanted in his life. So his songs and subsequent activities reflected his tastes and goals. But that change made things more difficult for Su-hyun. He said he found it difficult to sing his songs because they didn’t match his style, and that became a burden. He eventually lost the joy of singing.”
Lee continued, “After Chanhyuk explored his personal ambitions through his solo album, he finally turned his attention to Su-hyun. Although still an active celebrity with offers pouring in, he lost motivation. In the past, Su-hyun said, ‘I still want to sing songs like Give Love and 200%,’ but Chanhyuk refused, saying he couldn’t write songs like that anymore. Then he decided to try and Love Lee was born. That song brought Su-hyun back into the spotlight and reminded her why loves music.
Sources: born
