Lee Hwi-jae made a tearful return to the stage on 'Immortal Songs' after a four-year hiatus.
On the October 28th broadcast of KBS 2TV's 'Immortal Songs,' the show featured a special segment titled '2026 Entertainment King of Kings,' marking comedian Lee Hwi-jae's return to television after four years.
Lee greeted the audience, saying, "It's been a long time. Nice to see you," and added, "To say I've been well would be a lie. I've been traveling back and forth between Korea and spending time with my kids, reflecting on many things personally."
When Hong Seok-cheon jokingly said, "We've missed you so much, you should apologize for being away," Lee promptly apologized, drawing attention.
Lee also shared updates about his life, saying, "I've spent precious time with my family and reflected on past mistakes," showing signs of nervousness.
As a 34-year veteran in the industry, Lee confessed, "I was worried about returning to broadcasting after such a long time. I even had nightmares where I couldn't speak during recordings. It made me realize how long I've been away."
After news of his return broke, Lee faced backlash with negative comments opposing his comeback. He said, "I expected it. I texted the production team, saying, 'If it becomes too difficult, it's okay if I don't appear,' but they gave me a lot of support."
During rehearsals, Lee shed tears, admitting, "I was inadequate, lacking, and made mistakes. You know best what you've done wrong. You can't turn back time. I thought the only thing I could do was to give my best if given the chance."
Standing before the public once again, Lee expressed, "I never thought my name would be displayed at the broadcasting station again," showing emotion. He then passionately sang Choi Ho-seop's 'As Time Goes By,' adding, "I hope people recognize that I've thought a lot over the past four years."
Lee revealed that he received the casting call on the anniversary of his mother's passing, saying, "I thought maybe my mother was helping me. When I was busy, I didn't realize the importance of things. Meeting colleagues on the way to Yeouido was so nice. I was so happy to receive the casting call."
Finally, Lee shared updates about his twins, saying, "Seo-eon and Seo-jun are now in their first year of middle school. They're at an age where they understand exactly what their dad does, and they know why I had to take a break. They didn't say much, but they wrote me a letter, encouraging and comforting me, saying they hope I work again. I think they'll be very happy to see me on TV," he said, tearing up.
Meanwhile, Lee Hwi-jae took a break from broadcasting and spent time in Canada after negative public opinion formed around family-related issues, including noise complaints and his wife Moon Jung-won's amusement park controversy in 2022.
By Eun Jung Kim, TenAsia Reporter eun@tenasia.co.kr