In a candid confession that’s stirring fresh controversy, DJ DOC’s Lee Ha-neul revealed he was pushed into serious financial hardship after a shocking string of setbacks — a divorce, his brother’s death, a rift with fellow member Kim Chang-yeol, and the COVID-19 shutdowns.
On the 13th, Lee posted a new video on his YouTube channel and finally spoke his mind.
Lee said that during DJ DOC’s heyday, he didn’t feel anxious about money. “I thought I could always make more, and I had savings, so I felt secure,” he recalled. “Even after my divorce, when I settled the cash and what I had, I still thought, ‘I can earn it again.’”
But after his younger brother, 45RPM’s Lee Hyun-bae, passed away, everything changed fast. “After my brother left and things fell out with Chang-yeol, DJ DOC’s gigs stopped,” he said. “Then COVID-19 hit, and even the occasional events were completely shut down.”
His income shrank, but fixed expenses kept piling up. “For about three years, around 15–20 million KRW (approximately $11,500–$15,400) was going out every month,” Lee shared. “During COVID-19, I covered several hundred million won with what I had saved. It felt like having a healthy tooth yanked out.”
The group’s hiatus also triggered an issue with returning advance payments. “DJ DOC had a concert deal and received several hundred million won in advance, but when activities stopped, the promoter demanded the money back,” he said. “I had to come up with about 200 million KRW (around $154,000) at once.” He added, “They even said they’d sue and tell the media if I didn’t repay. If that happened, it felt like the group would lose any chance to get back up.”
The rift between Lee Ha-neul and Kim Chang-yeol escalated in 2021 after Lee Hyun-bae’s death. At the time, Lee publicly criticized Kim, arguing that a business project Lee Hyun-bae and Kim pursued fell through and led to his brother’s financial difficulties.
The two then cut contact for more than three years. In 2024, the group briefly appeared as a full DJ DOC unit with Jung Jae-yong, hinting at a reconciliation, but late last year Lee Ha-neul and Jung Jae-yong performed without Kim Chang-yeol, reigniting feud rumors.
Meanwhile, DJ DOC is a trio consisting of Lee Ha-neul, Kim Chang-yeol, and Jung Jae-yong that debuted in 1994.