Appeared on the November 26 episode of MBC’s radio star (Ep. 942), Lee Min-woo recalled his time at SM and the special bond he shared with his former executive producer. He shared, “Even the other members don’t know that Lee Soo-man once privately gave me a signed check as pocket money.”
He also mentioned the promotions for Shinhwathe third full-length album by ONLY ONEstating, “He brought us together and praised me a lot while I watched the footage of our performance. Even in the parts that weren’t mine, he told me to move to the center. From then on he supported me continuously, even making me the main character of ‘Hey Come On!’ music video.”
Min-woo humorously revealed that colleague Jun Jin often expressed jealousy over favoritism. “Jun Jin always stood next to me on stage, even trying to receive praise. He even preceded me slightly!” he laughed.
However, Lee also revealed that the two are no longer in contact. Once the contract with SM expired, he chose to embark on an independent path. At that time, Lee Soo-man sent him a heartfelt farewell email, which read: “I’m sorry I couldn’t name you Usher of Korea. Thank you and I wish you good health.”
“I kept that email to this day. I just can’t delete it,” Min-woo shared, visibly moved.
He also boldly stated that he was once the most popular member of Shinhwa, citing sales data of idol products in stationery stores. “I saw the breakdown of our merchandise sales and thought, ‘Why are we splitting the profits equally?’ So I requested individual agreements. My popularity was overwhelming. Surprisingly, the least popular were Eric and Andy,” he said.
Lee Min-woo’s candid revelations gave fans a rare behind-the-scenes look at life as an idol during first-generation K-pop and the close, yet complex, relationships that shaped it.
Sources: Daum
