“What did I do to deserve this much?”: Lee Hyori reflects on her return to commercials after 11 years

Lee Hyori's candid reflections and values are gaining attention as she returns to the commercial advertising world after 11 years—earning over 4.2 billion KRW (~$3 million USD) in the process.

Back in 2012, Lee Hyori announced that she would stop appearing in all commercial advertisements, excluding public campaigns. At the time, she expressed discomfort with the inauthenticity often required of ad models, saying, “I didn’t lose weight by eating that, or become pretty by using that cosmetic, but I still had to say I did.”

Then, in July 2023, Lee Hyori surprised fans with a bold and brief Instagram post: “I want to do commercials again. For inquiries, contact Antenna Music.” This officially marked her return to advertising. Later, on the YouTube channel ‘Zzanbro’, she explained her decision openly: “I want to earn a lot, spend a lot, and donate a lot.”

She also revealed a funny behind-the-scenes story from her comeback. “Antenna didn’t even know. Everyone was on vacation, including Sangsoon (her husband),” she said. “I just posted it on a whim. The director at Antenna was surfing and had his phone off for two days.”

At a gathering of Antenna artists, Jung Jae Hyung reportedly said, “Last year, Hyori’s earnings were about the same as what we’ve made in the past 20 years.” Her husband, Lee Sangsoon, nodded in agreement, saying, “She probably received the most offers in the entire agency.”

Explaining her motivations, Lee Hyori said, “I wanted to hire dancers like HolyBang, work with great songwriters, and film expensive music videos—but I felt guilty asking for so much.” She added, “Fans wanted it, and I wanted to show them more of me. Why did I ever say I wouldn’t do commercials? I want to earn, spend, and donate generously.”

She also admitted, “My donation amount dropped significantly without doing commercials. I’m just really grateful people still love me this much.”

Lee Hyori continues to donate large sums, living out her philosophy of “earning more to give more.” Her commercial return, after over a decade, reflects not just a career decision—but a deeply personal and authentic part of who she is.