Jisun reveals why she left Loveholic: "Music was causing me pain"

Jisun, former vocalist of early-2000s band Loveholic, appeared on KBS1's Song큐멘터리 백투더뮤직 시즌2 on September 26, 2026. She explained, in detail, why she walked away from one of the groups that defined her career.

600-to-1 odds, then told to sing quieter

Getting into Loveholic was already improbable. Jisun beat a 600-to-1 competition ratio in a vocal audition run by members 이재학 (Lee Jae-hak) and 강현민 (Kang Hyun-min). Before that, she had built a name in Hongdae as a member of the band Wizard, where she earned the nickname "보라 마녀" (Purple Witch) for wearing purple lenses, skirts, and shoes.

Once inside Loveholic, everything changed. "They wouldn't let me use a loud voice," she said on the broadcast. "If I sang that way, I got scolded. They told me to relax and put in more air." The result stuck with her. "While doing Loveholic, I became a very restrained style vocalist."

The group released tracks that became staples of the era: Loveholic, 화분 (Flowerpot), 그대만 있다면 (If Only You), 인형의 꿈 (Doll's Dream). Jisun stayed for five years before leaving after the third album.

"Music was causing me pain"

Her reason for quitting was direct. "The composition was like two teachers and one student, so I was always struggling," she said. "Even when I did my best, I felt frustrated that I couldn't meet expectations. I started music because I loved it, but music was causing me pain."

Lee Jae-hak, who appeared on the same program, offered his own regret: "I thought it was cool to support this friend's future path. But now thinking about it, I wish I had strongly told her 'We want you to be with us.'" He still called Loveholic her "life's benefactor" — and so did she.

Okinawa, then back to the stage

After leaving, Jisun went to Okinawa and reconnected with why she started singing. She returned with her first solo album, 인어.. 집으로 돌아오다 (Mermaid.. Coming Home), and later won the Female Ballad Singer Award at the Entertainment Arts Awards.

She has been a professor in the Department of Practical Music at Yongin University since 2018. One student reportedly sat the entrance exam six times just to study under her. From May 2026 she has been releasing new music again.