There's a rising wave of speculation about Korean singer Lee Hyori's possible return to her original passion - music.

Lee Hyori, who recently made headlines by expressing her interest in resuming commercial endorsements, has now sparked curiosity about potential new music projects.

Lee Hyori, currently participating in tvN's show 'Dance Singer Wanderer', recently had deep conversations with her fellow members, reflecting on the meaning of their journey.

The ninth episode, which aired at 8:50 PM on the 20th, captures the journey of Lee Hyori, Kim Wan-sun, Uhm Jung-hwa, BoA, and Hwasa to Yangyang in Gangwon Province. There were discussions about the performers' plans following 'Dance Singer Wanderer'.

Uhm Jung-hwa, who experienced her glory days from the drama 'Dr. Cha Jung-suk' to 'Dance Singer Wanderer', opened up in response to Lee Hyori's question about her future plans. "I feel it would be strange when it all suddenly ends," she said. In a further conversation, she encouraged Lee Hyori to brave a return to music, saying, "It would be great if you could muster the courage".

While Lee Hyori's response remains unknown, insiders have noted that her will to return to her original profession has always been present.

Previously in 2017, after a four-year hiatus, Lee Hyori returned to her singing career with her 6th full-length album 'Black' and the title track 'Seoul'. Although her return stirred massive excitement, her performance on music charts didn't quite match the hype. However, she demonstrated her vitality through subsequent activities with project groups such as Ssak3 and the Refund Sisters.

Despite her more prominent image as a TV personality, Lee Hyori is now receiving renewed spotlight as a groundbreaking female solo artist through 'Dance Singer Wanderer'. The show provides a perfect warm-up for her to reconnect with fans in her original profession.

Moreover, this is a period of transformation for Lee Hyori. After maintaining a long-standing rejection of commercial advertisements, she ended this self-imposed ban, winning over the public with her 'honesty'.

On June 13th, Lee Hyori posted on her SNS, "I want to do commercials again. Please direct advertising inquiries to Antenna Music", openly revealing her intent and desire to return to commercial modeling. The accompanying photo captures her in her heyday as a glamorous commercial model. From the 2000s to the 2010s, she dominated various sectors of the industry, appearing in commercials for telecommunications, alcoholic beverages, cosmetics, cars, and sports apparel.

In 2012, Lee Hyori announced that she would cease all commercial endorsements, except for public service announcements. Her reasoning was that she wanted to be honest with the public, which felt like friends due to her long career. Moreover, after adopting vegetarianism, she decided not to take part in ads that opposed her vegetarian values. She had once stated on a variety show, "Technically, I can't do ads for pizza, chicken, ramen, leather clothing, and cosmetics tested on animals".

When Lee Hyori announced her intent to return to commercial ads after 11 years, many people were skeptical. This was because she was one of the few and most famous celebrities to boldly declare not to do commercial advertisements. Many wondered if she had been hacked due to the surprising announcement. However, as time passed, it was confirmed that her 'announcement' was genuine, which aroused public curiosity. Will her beliefs seem faded over time, or will her new move, after a considerable period of conviction, be welcomed? The response has been the latter. The advertising industry and fans are thrilled about her return, surprisingly welcoming her blunt desire for commercials. Given the enthusiastic response to the 'consistent yet new Lee Hyori', all eyes are on whether she will put the same drive into her return to music.

Copyright © 2023 Kpop Reporter. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.