Minwoo of the group Shinhwa has revealed for the first time the contents of an email he personally received from former SM chief producer Lee Soo Man after leaving SM Entertainment.
The 942nd episode of MBC’s variety show ‘Radio Star’, aired on November 26th KST, featured a special titled ‘Wild Idol+eyes’ with guests Minwoo, Kang Hyung Wook, Zion.T, and Kwon Tto Tto.
On the show, Minwoo recalled the special affection he received from Lee Soo Man during his time at SM. He shared, “This is something even the members don’t know. Lee Soo Man once called me in privately and gave me spending money by check.”
Referring to promotions for their third full-length album ‘ONLY ONE’, he said, “Back then, he gathered us together and praised me endlessly while watching the monitor. Even when it wasn’t my part, he told me to move to the center.”
He continued, “From that point on, he kept supporting me. I was also the main character in the ‘Hey Come On!’ music video.”
Minwoo also revealed that fellow member Jun Jin was especially jealous of the favoritism. He said with a laugh, “Whenever there was a triangular formation on stage, Jun Jin was always next to me. He would step a little further forward to get praised.”
However, he added a twist by saying they are no longer in contact. Minwoo explained, “After my contract with SM ended, I chose to go independent. At that time, Lee Soo Man sent me an email.” He then revealed the actual message.
The email read, “I regret that I couldn’t make you the second Usher of Korea. Thank you, and I hope you stay healthy."
Minwoo added, “I still have that email saved. That’s something I could never delete.”
Minwoo also claimed that he had once been the most popular member among fans within Shinhwa.
He said, “Back then, stationery shops sold idol merchandise, and the sales volume differed for each member. When I saw the settlement statement, I wondered, ‘Why are we splitting it equally when this much was sold?’ So I requested individual settlements from the director.”
He added frankly, “My popularity was overwhelming. The members who surprisingly had less popularity were Eric and Andy.”
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