Former Jewelry member Lee Ji-hyun tears up over fallout from 'Gold-Tier Counseling Center' appearance

Lee Ji-hyun, a former member of K-pop group Jewelry, broke down in tears as she opened up about the emotional toll she suffered following her appearance on Channel A's counseling show "Geum-jjok Sangdamso" (Gold-Tier Counseling Center).

In an episode of the YouTube channel CGN's program "THE NEW Haneulbit Hyanggi" released Tuesday, Lee reflected on her 2022 appearance on the show, saying, "I still carry that pain, and I blame myself a lot."

When host announcer Kim Jae-won gently raised the subject of the difficult time Lee had gone through after the broadcast, she explained that things had not gone as she and her family had planned. "They told us that in order to make an accurate diagnosis and help the child, we needed to see his worst moments — so there were times when we deliberately provoked him," she said.

She went on to say that the editing, which focused on those moments of provocation, made the backlash after the broadcast severe. "I felt so sorry for my son. I was fine, but the things he heard outside became a deep wound for him," she said.

Lee also recalled the time she briefly moved to the United States in January for her son's education and treatment. "My son said to me, 'Mom, if we go to America, people won't know I'm a geum-jjok-i,'" she said, using the show's term for a child with behavioral challenges. She wept as she added, "Even though he didn't tell me everything, I realized he was carrying so much hurt inside — it was so hard to bear, and it still breaks my heart."

She said she hoped time would pass quickly and the memory would fade. "My child did nothing wrong. I hope he can take that word 'geum-jjok-i' and grow into someone who has made peace with it," she said.

Lee made her debut with Jewelry in 2001 and found wide popularity with hit songs including "Ni-ga Cham Joha," "Super Star" and "Tonight," before leaving the group in 2006 after its fourth album. She has since gone through two divorces, in 2016 and 2020, and has been raising her two children on her own. She recently drew attention for reinventing herself as a hair designer.