A former YG Entertainment artist revealed the reason he left the “Big 4” agency to become independent.
On October 31st, MBC’s “The Manager” featured a special episode on AKMU (also known as Akdong Musician). On the broadcast, Lee Suhyun disclosed that all the popular concerts were created by Lee Chanhyuk’s efforts.
She said, “Before, I followed the plans my brother came up with, but this time, he became independent from the company and created everything from start to finish. He was involved in every detail, so being recognized now feels even more meaningful,” expressing pride. Lee Chan Hyuk was involved down to the buttons on the dancers’ outfits.
Regarding why he left his former agency YG Entertainment to go independent, Lee Chanhyuk said, “YG did support me well, but when working with a company, there are always things I feel I should only do up to a certain point.” He added, “I wanted to completely let go of the reins. I wanted to take full responsibility, gather my own people, and lead the way.” He expressed how good he feels after going independent.
Upon hearing this, Yoo Byung Jae asked, “It must have been a lot of pressure since it was your first performance,” but Lee Chanhyuk replied, “I wasn’t pressured, but my ambitions were high.” He admitted, “I do feel burdened by the increased responsibilities.”
He revealed that up to one week before the concert, he couldn’t sleep properly due to muscle spasms. He said, “I was physically sensitive from overwork when I got home.” Lee Chanhyuk, who lost about 5kg in one month, said, “I couldn’t eat.”