Lee Ji-yeon to release tribute song in October
Singer Lee Ji-yeon, who was a star in the 1980s, will return after 25 years with a new single. According to the promotion company AMG Global on Monday, Lee will release a remake of “Sympathy,” a song originally composed by singer Jang Deok (1962-1990), in October.Lee’s remake will be included on “Homage Album for Hyeon and Deok,” produced by Art International, a special album to be released in October in memory of the late singer-sibling duo, Jang Deok and Jang Hyeon, who in 1990 died of a medicine overdose and cancer, respectively.
After debuting in 1987, Lee became a teenage star in Korea, releasing hit singles such as “The Reason Was Painful for Me” and “Wind Please Stop Blowing.”
However, during the 1990s, failed album sales and marriage-related issues led Lee to stop almost all career-related activities.
Nowadays, she is reported to be living in Atlanta, Georgia, and operating a Korean barbecue restaurant there. She said she happened to know through social media that an album in homage to Jang is being produced. As she was a close friend of Jang Deok, she offered to perform on the album.
“‘Sympathy’ is a Korean ballad of 1980s fashion that matches my style of singing, so I sang with the maturity and respect that comes with age,” Lee said.
But she noted that this was not a comeback, as her goal now is to continue living in the United States as a “chef and entrepreneur who dedicates her life to introducing people to Korean cuisine in a fashionable manner.”
By Bae Seung-hoon
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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