Kim Yeon Ji, former member of the vocal group SeeYa, has revealed she will be taking a break from her activities due to vocal cord cyst surgery.

On May 6, the singer uploaded a video titled “Should I stop my 20-year singing career?” on her personal YouTube channel. The video, reportedly filmed last year, detailed her long battle with vocal issues.

Kim recalled, “I had such a joyful and passionate time performing in the musical Marie Antoinette in 2019. Then in 2020, I participated in Miss Trot 2 and challenged myself with new genres, which led to me overusing my voice.”

She continued, “At some point, I lost control of my voice. I tried medication and even took steroids, but I experienced severe side effects. After a break and medical checkups, I was diagnosed with a vocal cord cyst.”

A cyst on the vocal cords doesn’t go away without surgery, she said. Despite that, she started a musical with the condition. “I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to sing, so I went to the hospital every day. I barely practiced and just rehearsed in my head. I didn’t meet anyone outside of performing and only went to the hospital, the theater, and home.”

She added that the stress and pressure led to her developing vertigo.

Following her performance, she sought out treatment options from various ENT specialists, hoping to avoid surgery. “I didn’t want to put a scalpel to my precious vocal cords. I tried every natural healing method I could find,” she shared.

Although the cyst appeared to disappear after treatment, it returned when she resumed activities. “Natural healing of vocal cord cysts is almost a miracle. That miracle didn’t come to me,” she said, revealing she is scheduled to undergo surgery on February 4.

Kim concluded, “Once my voice heals, I hope to return to the stage and meet you again as both a musical actress and singer.”

Debuting in 2006 as a member of SeeYa, Kim Yeon Ji is known for hit songs like “A Greeting of Love” and “Crazy Love Song.”

SEE ALSO: “It’s not a fight I can win”: Jung Joon Won jokes about visuals and rising fame after drama