Former Jewelry member Lee Ji-hyun
Former first-generation idol Lee Ji-hyun delivered brutally honest marriage advice during the variety show ‘My Little Old Boy,’ telling women to believe only 70 percent of men’s words before tying the knot and trust paperwork for the remaining truth. The 43-year-old Jewelry alum, now working as a hair designer while raising one son and one daughter as a single mother, shared her hard-earned wisdom when French pansori singer Mapo Lorr asked how to identify a good husband before marriage.
Documents beat sweet talk in pre-wedding checklist
Lee explained that men’s bravado and exaggeration lead them to lie frequently before marriage to impress women, drawing on her own painful experiences to warn others about believing everything they hear. Studio panelist Seo Jang-hoon immediately validated her expertise, calling Lee “an absolute specialist in that field” before joking that even 70 percent trust seems generous and women should cap it at 30 percent. Fellow host Shin Dong-yup piled on by suggesting 70 percent already sounds too high, triggering laughter as the conversation underscored harsh realities hidden beneath romantic promises.
Child support battles scar double divorce survivor
Lee debuted with Jewelry in 2001 and married in 2013, welcoming a son and daughter before divorcing by mutual agreement in 2016. She remarried the following year only to face another breakup in 2020, leaving her to raise both children alone while battling unpaid child support through two separate lawsuits against her ex-husband. The former idol admitted feeling deeply embarrassed discussing her divorce stories on television but persisted to help others avoid similar heartbreak.
Beauty exam failures lead to hairstyling rebirth
After repeatedly failing cosmetology certification tests, Lee finally passed the national hairstylist exam in March 2025 and launched a second career as hair designer “Grace,” quickly gaining attention for charging modest service fees despite her celebrity background. She temporarily closed her salon in October to take her first family vacation in years, confessing she felt guilty for being too busy to travel during school breaks and vowing to be a “dedicated helper” carrying luggage and opening her wallet for her kids. Lee credits her strength to continue working grueling hours from 5 a.m. wake-ups to subway commutes on “hell trains” entirely to motherhood, finding comfort in daughter Seo-yoon’s shy confession that “I know you work hard in every way”.
