The Enduring Appeal of AKMU’s Lee Su Hyun: An Updated Look at Her Career and Journey

From their early days captivating audiences with unique, self-composed songs born from a childhood in Mongolia, the sibling duo AKMU (Akdong Musician) – Lee Chan Hyuk and Lee Su Hyun – carved a distinct path in the South Korean music scene.

Lee Su Hyun, in particular, drew attention for her outstanding vocal talent, bringing her brother’s quirky and heartfelt lyrics to life. Their journey from homeschooling due to missionary parents and economic hardship to becoming chart-topping singer-songwriters is well-documented. Songs like “Last Goodbye,” “DINOSAUR,” and the phenomenal “How Can I Love the Heartbreak, You’re the One I Love” cemented their stardom.

The original query highlighted Lee Su Hyun’s solo activities during her brother’s military enlistment, including roles as a radio DJ, beauty program MC, and beauty creator. This report provides an updated status on Lee Su Hyun, tracing her activities since Lee Chan Hyuk’s return from the military, exploring AKMU’s continued success, her diverse solo ventures, and her candid reflections on personal growth and challenges.

AKMU Reunited: Post-Military Activities (May 2019 – Present)

• Chanhyuk’s Return and a Swift Musical Resurgence Lee Chan Hyuk completed his mandatory service in the Marine Corps and was officially discharged on May 29, 2019.² His return marked the end of AKMU’s temporary hiatus and Lee Su Hyun’s period of primarily solo activities mentioned in the initial text. The duo wasted little time resuming their musical journey. The relatively short period between Chanhyuk’s discharge in May and the release of their third full-length album, Sailing, in September 2019 suggests that work likely began promptly, reflecting both their readiness and efficient management.² Sailing was met with critical acclaim and commercial success, debuting at number 4 on the Korean charts.⁷ Its lead single, “How Can I Love the Heartbreak, You’re the One I Love” (어떻게 이별까지 사랑하겠어, 널 사랑하는 거지), became a massive hit, topping digital charts for an extended period and reaffirming AKMU’s status as “digital monsters”.¹ The song’s enduring popularity, still charting high over a year after its release, demonstrated that the hiatus had not diminished their connection with the audience.⁹ Notably, Sailing also marked Lee Su Hyun’s first official arrangement credit on an AKMU release, for the B-side track “Farewell” (작별 인사), indicating a subtle expansion of her creative involvement within the group at that time.¹⁰
• Navigating New Waters: Singles and Collaborations Following the success of Sailing, AKMU released the digital single “Happening” in November 2020, serving as a standalone track bridging their major album projects.⁷ A significant shift occurred in July 2021 with the release of Next Episode, AKMU’s first-ever collaboration EP.¹ This project saw the duo team up with a star-studded lineup of artists for each track, including Lee Sun Hee, IU, Zion.T, Beenzino, Jannabi’s Choi Jung Hoon, Crush, and Sam Kim.¹³ The EP, themed around “Beyond Freedom” – exploring internal freedom unaffected by external circumstances – was praised for significantly widening AKMU’s musical spectrum.¹ The lead single, “NAKKA” (낙하) featuring IU, achieved significant chart success, topping the Korean charts.⁷ This venture represented a deliberate move away from their usual self-contained dynamic, expanding their sound and potentially reaching new audiences. However, this period of artistic experimentation, primarily driven by Chanhyuk who wrote and composed all the tracks ¹³, coincided chronologically with Lee Su Hyun’s later-revealed struggles and growing disconnect from the music.¹⁷ The push for artistic evolution, while critically successful, may have inadvertently contributed to Suhyun feeling less engaged during this time.
• A Return to Roots and Rekindled Joy: “Love Lee” and Love Episode August 2023 marked another turning point with the release of the single “Love Lee”.¹ This release was framed as a “lovely gift” for listeners and, significantly, was created in direct response to Lee Su Hyun’s expressed desire for brighter, more carefree music reminiscent of their early hits like “200%”.¹⁴ Lee Chan Hyuk consciously prioritized his sister’s preferences and their synergy, researching a direction that would resonate with her following a difficult period she later opened up about.¹⁷ “Love Lee” topped the charts in Korea ⁷ and played a crucial role in helping Suhyun rediscover her enjoyment of making music.¹⁸ The single also included the B-side “Fry’s Dream,” for which Suhyun contributed animation to the lyric video.¹¹ This song wasn’t just a commercial success; it represented a responsive adaptation within AKMU’s creative process, highlighting the strength and flexibility of their sibling bond and marking what they described as a potential “new start”.¹⁷ This direction continued with the release of their third mini-album, Love Episode, in June 2024.⁷ The EP features “Love Lee” alongside the new title track “Hero,” further solidifying this phase of their music.⁷
• Connecting with Fans: Concerts and Tours Maintaining a connection with their audience through live performances remained important. Following Sailing, they embarked on the AKMU ‘SAILING’ TOUR, commemorated by a live album release in 2020.¹ After a four-year gap, they held their AKMU 2023~2024 CONCERT TOUR, starting in November 2023.¹⁹ This tour, their first solo concert series in four years, held particular significance as it followed the release of “Love Lee” and Suhyun’s candid discussion of her recent challenges, symbolizing a full and potentially revitalized return to the stage as a duo.²¹
• AKMU on Screen: Consistent Visibility Beyond music releases and tours, AKMU maintained a steady presence in the public eye through various broadcast and web appearances. Since 2019, they’ve featured in shows like Long Live Independence (2021), Netflix’s Take 1 (2022), and hosted their own season of the music talk show The Seasons: Long Day, Long Night with AKMU (2023).⁸ They also engaged fans through their own YouTube series like Sailing Log (2019) and Siblings Next Door (2023).⁸ These appearances helped reinforce their brand as relatable and talented siblings, keeping them visible between music cycles.

Lee Su Hyun’s Solo Palette: Music Beyond AKMU (2019-Present)

While AKMU continued its journey, Lee Su Hyun also cultivated a diverse solo career, showcasing different facets of her artistry.

• Official Solo Debut: “ALIEN” In October 2020, between AKMU’s major releases Sailing and Next Episode, Lee Su Hyun made her official solo debut with the digital single “Alien”.¹⁰ The song presented a unique concept centered on self-discovery and empowerment, described as a story of a “hero discovering the secret of their birth” and finding power in uniqueness.²³ Accompanied by a music video directed by Han Sa-min ¹⁰, “Alien” allowed Suhyun to explore a distinct sound and visual identity separate from AKMU’s typical folk-pop style, strategically released during a group lull to maximize focus on her individual capabilities.
• The Voice of Storytelling: A Prolific OST Career One of the most consistent and successful avenues for Lee Su Hyun’s solo work has been singing original soundtracks (OSTs) for popular television dramas and films. Since 2019, she has become a sought-after OST vocalist, lending her emotive voice to numerous productions. This steady stream of solo work leverages her vocal talent effectively, keeps her consistently active independent of AKMU’s release schedule, and boosts her individual recognition through association with hit dramas. Her ability to make an impact is evident; for instance, her soundtrack contribution “In Your Time” for the drama It’s Okay to Not Be Okay reached number one on South Korean music streaming charts.¹⁰ Table: Lee Su Hyun OST Contributions (2019-Present)

Song Title	Drama/Film Title	Year	Notes
“In Your Time” (아직 너의 시간에 살아)	It’s Okay to Not Be Okay	2020	Topped streaming charts 10
“Reflection” (숨겨진 내 모습)	Mulan (Korean Version)	2020	Disney film soundtrack 10
“Love and Pain”	Lovestruck in the City	2021	10
“My Spring” (나의 봄은)	My Liberation Notes	2022	10
“Stand By Your Side”	Curtain Call	2022	27
“Every Day Without You”	When the Stars Gossip	2025*	(*Likely released earlier) 27
“Journey” (with Gaeko)	Unknown (Potential OST/Single)	2025*	(*Likely released earlier) 22

• Collaborative Ventures: Features and Duets Lee Su Hyun has also collaborated with various artists, showcasing her versatility and integration within the broader K-music landscape beyond her home agency. Notable features since late 2019 include lending her vocals to VIINI’s “Love the Moon” (2020), 10CM’s indie-pop track “Sleepless in Seoul” (2021), and Big Naughty’s R&B song “Hopeless Romantic” (2023).¹⁰ These collaborations demonstrate her adaptability across different genres and her appeal to artists outside the typical AKMU sphere.
• Creative Input: Songwriting and Arrangement While Lee Su Hyun possesses songwriting and composition skills, having penned radio logo songs and personal tracks earlier in her career ¹⁰, and even started exploring it more seriously in recent years ³⁰, her credited contributions to major official releases since 2019 appear more focused on her exceptional vocal performance. Her arrangement credit for AKMU’s “Farewell” in 2019 remains a notable instance.¹⁰ Recent AKMU albums heavily feature Chanhyuk’s writing and composition credits ¹⁷, and her solo single “Alien” and OST releases do not list her as a primary writer or composer in the available information. While she undoubtedly contributes creatively, particularly in shaping the conceptual direction of AKMU’s music as seen with “Love Lee” ¹⁷, her formally credited songwriting role on major recent releases seems less frequent compared to her brother’s. (Note: Reports of a topliner named Suhyun Kim at Sugar House Publishing ³² cannot be definitively linked to AKMU’s Lee Su Hyun based on available data). The “composition study” mentioned in the original text hasn’t manifested as a primary focus in her publicly released work recently.

Expanding the Stage: Lee Su Hyun in Entertainment (2019-Present)

Beyond music, Lee Su Hyun has continued to engage audiences through various entertainment platforms.

• On Camera: Acting Appearances Following her acting debut in the web series Part-Time Idol in 2017 ¹⁰, Lee Su Hyun has taken on occasional acting roles. She made a cameo appearance in labelmate Winner’s music video for “Hold” in 2020.¹⁰ In 2021, she appeared in the web series Mad for Each Other, playing a character named Su Hyun.¹⁰ These appearances, often cameos or roles close to her own persona in web-based formats, suggest that acting remains an area of interest she explores cautiously, rather than a primary career path compared to her music and variety show commitments.
• Variety Presence: A Natural Entertainer Lee Su Hyun has demonstrated a strong aptitude for variety programming, becoming a familiar face on several popular shows. She was a regular cast member on the music travel reality show Begin Again for seasons 2, 3, and 4 (spanning 2018-2020), showcasing her musicality and personality.¹⁰ In 2019, she served as a judge on the band competition show Superband.¹⁰ Her variety portfolio expanded further with casting in JTBC’s reality show Sea of Hope (2021) ¹⁰ and, more recently, co-hosting the Netflix dating reality show Nineteen to Twenty (2023) alongside Super Junior’s Kyuhyun and actress Kim Ji-eun.¹⁰ Her consistent presence and progression from participant to judge and host underscore her natural entertainment skills and growing recognition in this field, making it a significant part of her overall career.
• Digital Footprint: The “Leesuhyun” YouTube Channel Journey Lee Su Hyun established a significant digital presence through her personal YouTube channel. Launched in May 2017 as “MochiPeach,” it initially focused on beauty content, reflecting her interest in the area.¹⁰ Encouraged by her agency, YG Entertainment, the channel expanded to include vlogs and music covers, becoming a platform for direct fan interaction.¹⁰ It achieved considerable success, earning her a YouTube Gold Play Button in July 2019 for surpassing one million subscribers.³⁴ The channel was later renamed “Leesuhyun” in August 2019.³⁴ It also served as a platform for personal disclosures, such as revealing she had been a victim of illegal filming.¹⁸ However, recent information regarding channel activity is sparse in the reviewed materials.³⁸ Considering the timeline of her confessed personal struggles between late 2020 and mid-2023 ¹⁸, it is highly probable that the channel has been inactive or on hiatus during this period, though an official announcement hasn’t been cited.

Revisiting Past Ventures: Status Update

The original query mentioned several specific solo activities Lee Su Hyun undertook, particularly during her brother’s enlistment. Here’s an update on their status:

• Radio Waves: Her role as the main DJ for the popular KBS Cool FM radio show AKMU Suhyun’s Volume Up concluded on January 5, 2020.¹⁰ She received a KBS Entertainment Award in 2018 for this role.¹⁰ While this specific daily hosting gig ended, she didn’t entirely leave radio, later hosting Suhyun’s Forest in 2021 and serving as a special DJ in 2022.¹⁰ This indicates a transition away from the demanding daily show towards potentially different formats or less frequent engagements.
• Beauty Spotlight: Lee Su Hyun served as an MC for the OnStyle beauty program Get It Beauty specifically for its 2018 season.⁴¹ She was not part of the main MC lineup for the subsequent Get It Beauty 2019 season.⁴² Therefore, this particular high-profile beauty MC role concluded after the 2018 iteration, although her interest in beauty continued for a time via her YouTube channel.
• Creator and Composer: As discussed, the “beauty creator” role via her YouTube channel appears to be currently inactive or on hiatus. The “composition study” mentioned in the original text is difficult to track definitively; while she has composing abilities and credits [Insight 10], her recent visible focus seems to be more on vocal performance, variety, and influencing AKMU’s direction conceptually rather than frequent credited songwriting on major releases.

Overall, compared to the activities highlighted during Chanhyuk’s enlistment, Lee Su Hyun’s focus post-2019 has demonstrably shifted. While the daily radio DJ and specific beauty MC roles concluded, her work as an OST singer and variety entertainer significantly expanded, alongside navigating personal challenges and contributing to AKMU’s evolving sound.

Candid Conversations: Lee Su Hyun on Health, Slump, and Growth (Late 2020 – 2023)

In recent years, Lee Su Hyun has spoken with notable candor about personal struggles she faced, offering valuable context to her activities and artistic choices during that time.

• Opening Up: The Two-Year Slump At the press conference for AKMU’s “Love Lee” single in August 2023, Lee Su Hyun publicly confessed to experiencing a significant slump that lasted for over two years, placing its onset roughly around late 2020 or early 2021.¹⁸ She detailed the difficulties she faced, including insomnia, profound lethargy, and a lack of motivation so severe that she contemplated retiring from her music career.¹⁸ She also shared that she had struggled with binge eating as a way to cope with stress and had previously revealed through her YouTube channel that she was a victim of illegal filming, adding another layer of hardship.¹⁸ This period of difficulty chronologically followed her solo debut with “Alien” and coincided with AKMU’s more experimental phase with Next Episode. She linked her struggles partly to feeling less enjoyment in music when the group pursued directions that didn’t align as closely with her preferences.¹⁷ Her willingness to share these vulnerabilities openly is significant within the K-pop industry and provides crucial understanding for any perceived shifts in her activity or artistic output during 2021-2023.
• Path to Recovery: Support and New Perspectives Lee Su Hyun described overcoming the slump as an ongoing process.¹⁸ Central to her recovery was her support system. Her brother, Lee Chan Hyuk, demonstrated understanding and took proactive steps to adjust AKMU’s musical direction to better suit her.¹⁷ She also drew strength from fan support ¹⁸ and sought advice from industry seniors like IU, who had navigated similar experiences.¹⁸ Furthermore, she actively worked on finding healthier coping mechanisms, exploring new hobbies to manage stress instead of relying on binge eating.¹⁸ This narrative underscores her agency in her recovery journey and the positive impact of a responsive and supportive environment.
• The Impact of “Love Lee” The creation and release of “Love Lee” emerged as a key element in her healing process. Suhyun explicitly stated that the song helped her rediscover the joy in making music and feel reassured about AKMU’s path.¹⁸ Chanhyuk confirmed he created the song not just as a gift for fans, but specifically considering his synergy with Suhyun and researching a direction that would bring her back to enjoying their work together.¹⁸ This serves as a potent example of how artistic creation, when aligned with personal needs and facilitated by strong interpersonal bonds, can be restorative, ultimately strengthening the unique dynamic of the sibling duo.

Conclusion: Lee Su Hyun Today – Resilience and Artistry

Currently, Lee Su Hyun stands as a dynamic and multifaceted figure in the Korean entertainment industry. She remains an indispensable half of the beloved and consistently successful duo AKMU, while simultaneously thriving as a highly sought-after solo vocalist, particularly dominant in the OST market. Her engaging personality has also secured her a firm place in the world of variety entertainment.

Her journey since late 2019 has been one of significant growth, marked by resilience in the face of considerable personal challenges. She navigated a difficult slump, openly addressing mental and emotional health issues while continuing to build her career across diverse platforms. From the initial post-hiatus success of Sailing, through the experimental collaborations of Next Episode, and into the current era defined by the personally meaningful “Love Lee,” her trajectory reflects both professional evolution and personal recovery.

As AKMU celebrated their 10th anniversary in 2024, the sense of a “new start” ushered in by “Love Lee” feels particularly relevant. Lee Su Hyun’s journey highlights not only her individual talents and strength but also the unique, adaptable, and supportive dynamic she shares with her brother Lee Chan Hyuk. This combination suggests a promising and continually evolving future for her artistic contributions, both within the enduring partnership of AKMU and through her own diverse solo endeavors.