On the September 30th broadcast of SBS' 'Magic Eye', K-Pop diva Lee Hyori talked about her image transformation.

During the episode, Lee Hyori discussed her past image as the resident, sexy bad girl and revealed that it's been a burden at times. When it came to clothes, Lee Hyori recalled that she was judged harshly as she shared, "In the past, another singer wore the same belly button tee that I wore, and only I got criticized." She continued, "If another singer wears it, it's okay, but because I give off an erotic feeling they said I couldn't wear it. I don't get how I give off an erotic feeling."

MC Kim Gu Ra, however, noted that Lee Hyori had some benefits from carrying the bad girl rep in terms of tattoos. "Heo Ji Woong got a tattoo, and Hyori got a tattoo too. Yet because Hyori is a huge name, there was no fuss over her tattoo. If a rookie got a tattoo, he could get punished."

Lee Hyori shared that she did experience discomfort due to her tattoos however, having to hide them on live broadcast despite her big name. She shared, "I have tattoos on my wrist and forearm. When I had to go on stage, they asked me to hide [my tattoos], so I wore tape on my arms. If they had requested this of me beforehand, I would have worn long-sleeved clothes that would cover my arms, but they asked me right before the performance. We had no choice but to use tape. Just telling this story makes me feel bad."

On the same episode, Lee Hyori also mentioned that people seem to have a different perception of her these days. She noted, "These days I also have too much of an eco-image," referring to her new reputation as an eco-friendly woman who fights for animal rights and is vegetarian.

Despite her now less-provocative image, Lee Hyori expressed that she experiences difficulties still, "In the past, I was known as chic Hyori, but now my warm image has become so strong that it's becoming difficult." She further explained, "If I'm not being sentimental, people think it's strange," indicating that people have new expectations of her now compared to the past. 

Seems like Lee Hyori insists that she's a bad girl through and through as she argued, "Even though my lifestyle has changed, my character didn't change."