On April 1, 2026, viewers of tvN’s popular talk show You Quiz on the Block were treated to a candid and emotional episode featuring the sibling duo behind AKMU (Akdong Musician), Lee Chan-hyuk and Lee Su-hyun. The two, celebrated for their musical chemistry and sibling bond, peeled back the curtain on a period of profound struggle—one marked by slumps, emotional pain, and a fight to reclaim joy both in music and in life.
It’s not every day that K-pop stars open up about their darkest moments on national television, but the AKMU siblings did just that. According to Sports Chosun and other Korean media outlets, Lee Su-hyun began by revealing the depth of her recent struggles. "I experienced a long slump and lethargy," she admitted, adding that she spent two years blocking out sunlight, lost in a state of deep fatigue and mental decline. The initial cause, she explained, was work-related stress, but it quickly evolved into something much more severe—a life slump that left her feeling isolated and insignificant.
Her brother’s military enlistment became a turning point, but not in the way she’d hoped. Su-hyun recalled, "My brother’s absence was much bigger than I expected. I couldn’t fill even a fraction of the void." She described the year without Chan-hyuk as one filled with emotional pain, saying, "I felt like I was nothing, and I hurt myself with those thoughts." Even after Chan-hyuk returned from his service, things didn’t magically improve. "I thought everything would be solved when he came back, but he was charging ahead like a racehorse, and his musical color became even stronger. Making music together stopped being fun. I even told myself, 'If this is how we have to do music, I might as well quit AKMU.'"
As the episode unfolded, Su-hyun’s honesty deepened. She confessed to developing binge eating habits as a way to cope with her emotional emptiness. "The tool that filled my mental void the most was food. I think I binged every single day," she said. The result was rapid weight gain, which led to physical pain—her skin tore painfully as her body changed. "Looking at my body, I couldn’t think of myself as beautiful. My self-esteem and confidence hit rock bottom," she recalled. This spiral of self-doubt and shame soon manifested as severe social anxiety. "I became afraid of people looking at me. I just couldn’t face anyone," she admitted. The pressure of public scrutiny, especially in the image-conscious K-pop industry where thinness is often the norm, only compounded her distress. "Whenever I went to music shows, everyone was so thin. I always felt like I had to lose weight," she said, describing how the constant comparisons wore her down.
Lee Chan-hyuk, seeing his sister’s suffering, felt compelled to act. He proposed that they live together again, hoping that a shared home would provide the support Su-hyun desperately needed. "I suggested it," he explained, "because a slump is a simple word, but it can’t explain everything. Su-hyun hadn’t really learned how to live alone, and it looked tough for her." He described his approach as gentle and gradual. "I couldn’t force her to do anything. She wasn’t in a state to do much at all. So I tried to help her live healthily." The siblings started small: exercising together, creating daily schedules, and cooking meals at home instead of relying on delivery food. "The first day, he put me on a detox," Su-hyun recalled, half-laughing at the memory. But behind the lightheartedness was a serious effort to rebuild her sense of self and routine.
During this time, Su-hyun admitted she even distanced herself from her family. "I stayed away from my family because I knew they loved me so much and worried about me. I couldn’t face them," she shared. It was only when Chan-hyuk reached out with his offer to live together that she began to let someone back in. "He made the suggestion, and living together helped me toughen up," she said.
Chan-hyuk’s motivation was rooted in a sense of responsibility and urgency. "I didn’t want to have regrets. If I didn’t take care of Su-hyun now, I thought, ‘What if she asks me later, why didn’t you help me?’ I didn’t want to be that kind of person," he said. He likened his role to producing a song, saying, "I felt like I was producing her life. I wanted her to blossom, just like when I make music. I hoped she could experience the world as I see it."
Su-hyun, for her part, recognized how dire her situation had become only in hindsight. "I didn’t even realize how serious my state was until my brother helped me. I was heading down a path where I didn’t know how bad things had gotten," she admitted. With Chan-hyuk’s support, she began to climb out of her slump, slowly regaining her confidence and sense of purpose.
The siblings’ story resonated with viewers, not just because of their fame, but because of how relatable their struggles were. Many young people, especially in high-pressure environments, know the pain of burnout, self-doubt, and the difficulty of asking for help. The AKMU episode offered a rare and honest look at how even those who seem to have it all—talent, success, and a loving family—can fall into darkness and need help finding their way back.
What stood out most was the siblings’ unwavering support for one another. Chan-hyuk’s willingness to step in, not as a star or a producer, but as a brother, and Su-hyun’s courage to accept help and share her vulnerabilities, painted a picture of hope. As the episode wrapped, it was clear that while recovery is a journey without shortcuts, it’s made easier with love, patience, and a willingness to face the hardest truths together.
For fans and viewers alike, the AKMU siblings’ openness served as a reminder: behind every public persona is a private battle, and sometimes, just having someone reach out can make all the difference.