Singer Lee Eun-ha Says Debt Grew From 2 Billion Won to 10 Billion Won, Details Steroid Side Effects and Breast Cancer

By Lee Dong Geon Posted : March 31, 2026, 13:33 Updated : March 31, 2026, 13:33
[Photo = Screenshot from MBN's "While You Were Sick"]


Singer Lee Eun-ha has spoken publicly about her turbulent life, including mounting debt and serious health problems.

On the March 29 broadcast of MBN’s current-affairs and documentary program “While You Were Sick,” Lee, known as a “disco queen” of the 1970s and 1980s, said her father’s construction business collapsed and left the family with heavy debt around 1990.

She said the debt reached 2 billion won, and that she turned to private lenders while trying to repay it. She said the 2 billion won later grew to 10 billion won.

Lee said she worked nonstop to make a living and recalled receiving steroid injections to keep up with her schedule. “If I had known a little earlier, my body wouldn’t have been ruined like this,” she said.

She said side effects from steroids led to a 30-kilogram weight gain in a year, worsening her knees and resulting in artificial joint surgery. She also said she was later diagnosed with breast cancer while exercising to manage her weight.

 
[Photo = Screenshot from MBN's "While You Were Sick"]


Lee said she has now been declared cured. “To return as the disco queen who shined brightest on stage, I’ll keep working hard on my health, and I’m spending a lot of time listening to what my body is telling me,” she said.

“While You Were Sick” is billed as a healing talk program featuring people who have overcome hardships. It airs every Sunday at 8:30 a.m.

 
[Photo = Screenshot from MBN's "While You Were Sick"]

 



* This article has been translated by AI.

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