Kpop Legend Lee Hyori Criticized For Bad Live Singing+Lip-syncing Remarks Re-examined

Lee Hyori emerged as a phenomenon in the early 2000s and contributed to shaping Kpop. Lee Hyori’s journey of nearly 3 decades as an idol inspires many generations of juniors. She has becomé the Y2K icon that no one can replace. Lee Hyori’s current position helps her avoid strict evaluation by netizens. However, recently Lee Hyori caused fierce controversy over her lacking live singing skills despite being a veteran idol.

Specifically, a video of Lee Hyori singing to celebrate the wedding of comedian couple Jung Ho Chul – Lee Hye Ji on March 10 is causing a stir on online forums in Korea. The video recorded the unedited live performance of the singer, which received many mixed opinions. People are criticizing Lee Hyori’s live vocals. She chose a light song but showed many technical flaws and her voice was a bit unstable. Considering her 27-year experience, Lee Hyori’s performance disappointed Korean netizens.

The topic “Lee Hyori’s bad singing skills” attracted thousands of views. Netizens gave many harsh reviews about Lee Hyori. Some people even “dug up” Lee Hyori’s past remark that she likes lip-syncing. In the talk show “The Seasons – Lee Hyori’s Red Carpet” with guest Park Myung Soo, Lee Hyori half-jokingly confessed, “I also like lip-syncing… Recently, there are no shows that allow lip-syncing, that’s why all the idols’ live-singing is very good.”

Lee Hyori’s live singing video sparked controversy as to why the iconic idol has lost her skills so much. Korean netizens explain that Lee Hyori’s success is largely due to her dynamic sexy style, pioneering music and ability to create trends in a time when social networks were not yet developed. Among her skills, Lee Hyori’s voice is not highly appreciated.