Singer Lee So-ra reveals why she spent 6 years in near-total seclusion

Singer Lee So-ra, who has broken a hiatus of more than seven years, is opening up about the reasons behind her long withdrawal from public life.

On Thursday, tvN released a preview clip on YouTube for the Wednesday episode of the variety show "You Quiz on the Block," featuring Lee So-ra as a guest.

When host Yoo Jae-suk asked why she had stayed home for so long, Lee said, "My body was sick." She added that her weight had climbed to between 90 and 100 kilograms, and that high blood pressure left her unable to breathe properly or sleep. "It was horrible," she said.

Lee had previously disclosed in March, on singer Jung Jae-hyung's YouTube channel "Yojeong Jaehydung," that a vocal cord injury had led to her extended absence. "When I hurt my throat, I thought I might never be able to sing again," she said. "The fact that I had injured my vocal cords was devastating."

She described spending long stretches lying at home doing nothing. "I was so depressed I couldn't even play video games," she said, adding that she might take the elevator downstairs only once a year. Her blood pressure exceeded 190, she said, and shortness of breath made it difficult even to walk properly.

She said she spent the following year losing weight and recovering her health.

Lee released a new single, "Neo-ui Eolgul Da Ijeulge," this month — her first new music in about seven years since "Request Song," a January 2019 collaboration with BTS member Suga.

Lee made her debut in 1993 as a member of the vocal group Najseon Saramdeul before going solo in 1995. She went on to release a string of hit songs, including "I'm Happy," "Proposal," "Blue in You," "Please," "Don't Leave My Side," "Remember Me" and "The Wind Blows."