# SUHYUN
**Lee Su-hyun** (이수현, known mononymously as SUHYUN and LEE SUHYUN) is a South Korean singer born in 1999, best known as the vocalist of the sibling duo AKMU, which she formed with her older brother [Lee Chan-hyuk](https://www.edgepedia.org/lee-chan-hyuk) and which debuted under [YG Entertainment](https://www.edgepedia.org/yg-entertainment) in April 2014.[1](https://www.ygfamily.com/ko/artists/lee-suhyun/profile) • [2](https://www.koreajoongangdaily.com/entertainment/showcase-akmu-learns-to-appreciate-each-other-more-with-love-lee/11236878) The pair came to prominence by winning the second season of SBS's audition program [K-pop Star](https://www.edgepedia.org/k-pop-star) and signed with YG.[3](https://www.koreajoongangdaily.com/entertainment/who-is-akmu/12767338) In November 2025, after about 12 years with YG, the duo left the company and founded the independent label 영감의 샘터 (Well of Inspiration).[4](https://sports.khan.co.kr/en/article/202604141326007) Suhyun has also maintained a solo career since the dance-pop single "Alien" (October 2020) and her own YouTube cover channel.[1](https://www.ygfamily.com/ko/artists/lee-suhyun/profile) • [5](https://www.koreaherald.com/article/2453669)
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name and birth date | Lee Su-hyun (이수현), born 1999.05.04[1](https://www.ygfamily.com/ko/artists/lee-suhyun/profile) |
| Group | AKMU, sibling duo with brother Lee Chan-hyuk (born 1996), who writes and produces the music[2](https://www.koreajoongangdaily.com/entertainment/showcase-akmu-learns-to-appreciate-each-other-more-with-love-lee/11236878) |
| Debut | April 2014 with the album *Play*, under the name Akdong Musician, shortened to AKMU in 2019[3](https://www.koreajoongangdaily.com/entertainment/who-is-akmu/12767338) |
| Solo debut | 1st single "ALIEN", released 2020.10.16[1](https://www.ygfamily.com/ko/artists/lee-suhyun/profile) |
| Streaming record | AKMU passed 2.5 billion cumulative Melon streams, the highest for a mixed-gender group; 2,536,170,000 streams reported in April 2026[6](https://kakaoent.com/pr/detail/472) • [7](https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20260414032300005?section=culture%2Fall) |
| Label | Independent label 영감의 샘터 (Well of Inspiration) since November 2025, after about 12 years with YG Entertainment[4](https://sports.khan.co.kr/en/article/202604141326007) |
| Latest album | Fourth full-length album *개화* (FLOWERING), April 7, 2026; title track reached number one on Melon Top 100[8](https://news.nate.com/view/20260409n08497?mid=e0600) |
## Early life and K-pop Star 2
Suhyun and her brother Chan-hyuk spent much of their childhood in Mongolia, where their parents worked as missionaries, and were homeschooled there. They returned to Korea to compete on SBS's *K-pop Star*, winning the second season in 2013 and signing with YG Entertainment.[3](https://www.koreajoongangdaily.com/entertainment/who-is-akmu/12767338) The Herald interview places the duo's rise through the program's 2012 season, with the YG debut following two years later.[5](https://www.koreaherald.com/article/2453669)
They debuted in April 2014 with the album *Play* under the name Akdong Musician; the name was shortened to AKMU in 2019.[3](https://www.koreajoongangdaily.com/entertainment/who-is-akmu/12767338)
## AKMU: roles, releases and chart records
The duo's structure has remained fixed for over a decade: the brother, born in 1996, is the songwriter and producer, while the sister, born in 1999, is the vocalist, a division of roles that distinguishes the sibling act from standard idol groups.[2](https://www.koreajoongangdaily.com/entertainment/showcase-akmu-learns-to-appreciate-each-other-more-with-love-lee/11236878) Hit tracks written and produced largely by the duo include "Give Love" (2014), "RE-BYE" (2016), and "Last Goodbye" (2017).[2](https://www.koreajoongangdaily.com/entertainment/showcase-akmu-learns-to-appreciate-each-other-more-with-love-lee/11236878)
Their commercial weight shows most clearly on [Melon](https://www.edgepedia.org/melon-music), Korea's major streaming platform. As of March 30, 2025, AKMU had accumulated 2.5 billion total streams, a record for a mixed-gender artist per operator Kakao Entertainment.[6](https://kakaoent.com/pr/detail/472) By April 2026, Melon's data lab put the figure at 2,536,170,000 streams over the 12 years since their debut, the highest among mixed-gender groups.[7](https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20260414032300005?section=culture%2Fall) Their most-streamed song is "How Can I Love the Heartbreak, You're the One I Love", with 448,390,000 streams; only 17 teams among all artists have multiple songs exceeding 100 million streams on the platform.[9](https://www.asiae.co.kr/en/article/2026041409270106154)
Recent output: the EP *Love Lee* (2023) was the duo's first release in two years since *Next Episode* (July 2021); Suhyun said at the time that she wanted to return to lighter songs like "200%" (2014) rather than new challenges after "Nakka" (2021).[2](https://www.koreajoongangdaily.com/entertainment/showcase-akmu-learns-to-appreciate-each-other-more-with-love-lee/11236878) The mini album *LOVE EPISODE* followed on June 3, 2024.[8](https://news.nate.com/view/20260409n08497?mid=e0600)
## Solo career: "Alien"
Suhyun made her solo debut with the dance-pop single "Alien", released October 16, 2020 as her first single, with Chanhyuk taking charge of production even as she performed without him.[1](https://www.ygfamily.com/ko/artists/lee-suhyun/profile) • [5](https://www.koreaherald.com/article/2453669) She said the song came from a deliberate shift in taste: "Working as part of AKMU, I realized my musical preference was evolving, and feeling the change, I wanted to produce something of just my taste."[5](https://www.koreaherald.com/article/2453669) The solo sound moved away from the duo's acoustic style toward dance pop, and she rehearsed group choreography for the single.[5](https://www.koreaherald.com/article/2453669) Spotify's artist page frames the solo project as LEE SUHYUN presenting herself as a "solo artist" after a long preparation.[10](https://open.spotify.com/artist/6zfPiJgoaqNPHsW3fsUlBN)
Her individual catalog, mostly drama and film soundtrack work rather than a solo album, has generated 82.43 million cumulative Melon streams; the two members' individual activities combined total 153.14 million.[11](https://www.mk.co.kr/en/musics/12016164)
## The YouTube cover channel
Suhyun resumed activity on her personal YouTube channel on April 11, 2026, after roughly three years away, in a return video titled "다시 돌아온 이.공.주" (The princess returns); the channel had 1.65 million subscribers at the time.[12](https://news.nate.com/view/20260411n11631)
## Broadcast disclosures and health
On the April 1, 2026 broadcast of tvN's *You Quiz on the Block*, Suhyun described entering a hikikomori-like slump, spending her days gaming and ordering delivery food; Chan-hyuk proposed living together for a year to support her recovery.[8](https://news.nate.com/view/20260409n08497?mid=e0600) She has said she nearly quit the industry during the slump and credited her brother with stopping her.[2](https://www.koreajoongangdaily.com/entertainment/showcase-akmu-learns-to-appreciate-each-other-more-with-love-lee/11236878) • [13](https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/entertainment/k-pop/20260402/lee-su-hyun-says-she-almost-quit-akmu-during-emotional-slump)
In a YouTube video titled "Everything About Lee Suhyun's Blooming Project", she said accumulated fatigue from running nonstop since her debut, and a setback while preparing a solo album, led to burnout; she was diagnosed with depression and panic, which she described as a relief because it named the problem.[14](https://www.mk.co.kr/en/culture/12021902) Reports on her weight change differ: MK reports she gained about 30 kg during the hiatus before losing it,[14](https://www.mk.co.kr/en/culture/12021902) while Sports Kyunghyang reports she lost 39 kg through exercise and diet management ahead of the comeback.[15](https://sports.khan.co.kr/en/article/202607311101017) She denied using the weight-loss drug Wegovy, describing the process as a battle with herself.[16](https://www.starnewskorea.com/music/2026/04/09/2026040909302889786) Sports Chosun reported that a health screening had found her in a pre-diabetes stage, prompting the weight loss, and that a later screening showed all figures normal.[17](https://www.sportschosun.com/entertainment/2026-08-21/202608210100124140007891)
## Leaving YG and "FLOWERING"
In November 2025, after about 12 years under YG Entertainment, AKMU ended their exclusive contract and established the independent label Well of Inspiration (영감의 샘터).[4](https://sports.khan.co.kr/en/article/202604141326007) JoongAng Daily places the split at the end of December 2025, with the duo setting up their own company with a manager.[3](https://www.koreajoongangdaily.com/entertainment/who-is-akmu/12767338) Chan-hyuk explained the move as the product of a widening producing scope: "As the details I wanted grew, there were points where differences arose with the company's direction," adding that YG supported the choice.[4](https://sports.khan.co.kr/en/article/202604141326007)
The label's first release was the fourth full-length album *개화* (FLOWERING), out on April 7, 2026, about seven years after the third album *항해* (September 25, 2019) and about two years after *LOVE EPISODE*.[8](https://news.nate.com/view/20260409n08497?mid=e0600) Chan-hyuk wrote, composed, and arranged all 11 tracks.[18](https://www.sportsseoul.com/news/read/1601568) As of the morning of April 9, 2026, the title track "기쁨, 슬픔, 아름다운 마음" held number one on [Melon Top 100](https://www.edgepedia.org/melon-chart), with "소문의 낙원" at number two and eight album tracks in the chart's upper ranks.[8](https://news.nate.com/view/20260409n08497?mid=e0600) • [18](https://www.sportsseoul.com/news/read/1601568)
## A vocalist inside a sibling-produced act
Suhyun's career differs from a standard idol vocalist's in one structural way: for over a decade, most of AKMU's hit tracks have been written and produced by the duo, with her brother as the songwriter and producer.[2](https://www.koreajoongangdaily.com/entertainment/showcase-akmu-learns-to-appreciate-each-other-more-with-love-lee/11236878) She has described the "older-brother wall" as so large that she had not written songs herself, and confirmed on a Kian84 broadcast that she started the new company because her brother told her to, noting that he handles everything from lyrics and composition to fine details.[15](https://sports.khan.co.kr/en/article/202607311101017) His songs carried the duo to a 2.5 billion-stream record.[6](https://kakaoent.com/pr/detail/472) She has said she recently began writing songs little by little.[15](https://sports.khan.co.kr/en/article/202607311101017) She has spoken of an unreleased solo album as a source of burnout.[14](https://www.mk.co.kr/en/culture/12021902)
## References
1. [LEE SUHYUN Profile, YG Entertainment official](https://www.ygfamily.com/ko/artists/lee-suhyun/profile)
2. [[SHOWCASE] AKMU learns to appreciate each other more with 'Love Lee', Korea JoongAng Daily](https://www.koreajoongangdaily.com/entertainment/showcase-akmu-learns-to-appreciate-each-other-more-with-love-lee/11236878)
3. [Who is AKMU? Meet Lee Chan-hyuk and Lee Su-hyun, Korea JoongAng Daily](https://www.koreajoongangdaily.com/entertainment/who-is-akmu/12767338)
4. [AKMU reveal why they left YG…'To realize 100% of the music we want', Sports Kyunghyang](https://sports.khan.co.kr/en/article/202604141326007)
5. [[Herald Interview] AKMU Suhyun to debut solo with dance pop single 'Alien', The Korea Herald](https://www.koreaherald.com/article/2453669)
6. [멜론, AKMU 누적 스트리밍 등 혼성 아티스트 최고 기록 공개, Kakao Entertainment](https://kakaoent.com/pr/detail/472)
7. [악뮤, 멜론서 누적 25억 스트리밍…혼성 그룹 최고 기록, 연합뉴스](https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20260414032300005?section=culture%2Fall)
8. [이수현 기특한 슬럼프 극복…악뮤, YG 독립 후 1위 싹쓸이[차트오피스], Newsen via Nate](https://news.nate.com/view/20260409n08497?mid=e0600)
9. [AKMU Surpasses 2.5 Billion Cumulative Streams on Melon, The Asia Business Daily](https://www.asiae.co.kr/en/article/2026041409270106154)
10. [LEE SUHYUN, Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/artist/6zfPiJgoaqNPHsW3fsUlBN)
11. [AKMU Reaches 2.5 Billion Streams on Melon, Setting Record for Mixed-Gender Group, MK](https://www.mk.co.kr/en/musics/12016164)
12. [이수현, 3년 만에 유튜브 복귀…165만 구독자, Mydaily via Nate](https://news.nate.com/view/20260411n11631)
13. [Lee Su-hyun says she almost quit AKMU during emotional slump, The Korea Times](https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/entertainment/k-pop/20260402/lee-su-hyun-says-she-almost-quit-akmu-during-emotional-slump)
14. ["A diagnosis of depression and panic was actually a relief", MK](https://www.mk.co.kr/en/culture/12021902)
15. [AKMU member Suhyun “Could not even write songs because of the ‘older-brother wall’”… even the untold story behind losing 39kg, Sports Kyunghyang](https://sports.khan.co.kr/en/article/202607311101017)
16. ['위고비 NO' 이수현, Star News](https://www.starnewskorea.com/music/2026/04/09/2026040909302889786)
17. [악뮤 이수현, '당뇨 전 단계' 충격에 30kg 감량, Sports Chosun](https://www.sportschosun.com/entertainment/2026-08-21/202608210100124140007891)
18. [악뮤 이수현, 정규 4집 '개화' 발매 소감, Sports Seoul](https://www.sportsseoul.com/news/read/1601568)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Music scenes › East and Southeast Asian pop scenes › K-pop and the Korean popular music scene › Artists, groups, and people: K-pop and the Korean popular music scene › Project groups, units, idol bands, solo idols, localized, and virtual groups*
*Initially written Sep 19, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 19, 2026; Sep 30, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026 · Last review: Sep 30, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license