Comedian Lee Soo Ji will undergo surgery after being diagnosed with a nodule on her vocal cords, her agency, CP Entertainment, confirmed on July 14. While the singer will take some time off to recover, fans can expect to continue seeing her on television and YouTube because her current projects have already filmed ahead of time.
According to CP Entertainment, Lee Soo Ji recently received the diagnosis and decided to proceed with surgery and treatment based on the recommendations of his medical team, AllKPop reported.
The agency said the procedure was recommended after years of heavy voice use, although his condition is not considered serious.
The good news for viewers is that his work schedule is expected to remain largely unchanged. No more episodes of his SBS variety show “Uh, But Like, Seriously!” have already been recorded, allowing the program to air without interruption. His popular YouTube channel, “Hot Issue Ji”, which has more than 1.38 million subscribers, is also expected to continue uploading content as scheduled.
“After taking sufficient time to recover, Lee Soo Ji intends to resume his activities in good health,” CP Entertainment said. “We will do our best to support his speedy recovery.”
Lee Soo Ji prepares for recovery
Vocal cord nodules are small growths that develop on the vocal cords after long periods of voice fatigue or repeated voice misuse. The condition often causes hoarseness, vocal fatigue, and difficulty reaching higher notes.
Many people who rely on their voice for work, including singers, actors, announcers, voice actors and comedians, experience this condition. Although some cases improve with voice therapy and rest, surgery may be necessary when the nodules become chronic or larger over time.
Lee Soo Ji’s career has been built on her expressive voice, energetic performances, and memorable character work.
According to MaeilBusiness, since she debuted in 2008 as an open recruitment comedian for SBS, she has become one of South Korea’s most popular comedians through hit shows including “Gag Concert,” “SNL Korea,” “Office Workers” and “Sisters’ Cafe.”
Her performances also earned her major recognition last year, when she received female variety awards at both the Blue Dragon Series Awards and the Baeksang Arts Awards.
Despite her temporary break for treatment, Lee Soo Ji is also preparing for the premiere of ENA’s upcoming Monday-Tuesday drama, “New Recruit Season 4,” which is scheduled to debut on August 24.
