The Seasons: Red Carpet with Lee Hyo Ri (

Hello, everyone!

I'm Lee Hyo Ri of "Red Carpet." Nice to meet you all.

It's nice to see you again after a week.

- Have you all been well? - Yes!

I was very busy last week.

I gave a congratulatory speech at Kookmin University and all.

- I was all over the place. - Dear Class of 2024,

- hello, I'm Lee Hyo Ri. - That's it!

- Don't try to rely on others, - You've even prepared the video?

but instead, tell yourself life is meant to be alone.

Just keep that in mind and push through.

I'll stop babbling on and sing a song to entertain you all before I go.

Everyone...

I had no idea the microphone wouldn't be tuned at all.

I had no idea.

I'm at that age where I just push through with my energy, though.

Don't care too much about how good you are at something...

and just do whatever you want.

We don't have many days on Earth.

Just do as you wish.

I'm trying to have fun and enjoy my life too.

Today, we have...

many singers prepared...

to make sure we have fun.

The first one of them is...

still as lovely as ever...

and full of love.

A little risque and dangerous

Please welcome Uhm Jung Hwa!

(Sure, playing games is great, but how about an honest invitation?)

(Dancers from EO-DDAE TED, KINKY, QUANZ, DUCK, E jo, JAMIE)

(You're the most beautiful person! Jung Hwa, you're the best!)

Hyo Ri!

Welcome, Jung Hwa.

Hyo Ri...

- Welcome. - It's been a minute.

- Ms. Uhm! - Yes?

I'll call you that for today.

Sure, you may do so.

I hear this is your first time on the show in six years.

You started the show today with "Invitation."

Is there a particular reason for that?

I really love this song,

and the title of my recent concert after a long break...

- Its title. - was "Invitation."

A lot of your junior colleagues attended the concert,

and you were really amazing.

I was so happy for you as if it was my own concert.

Here it is.

- Honestly, I was... - You have no idea how happy I was...

- to watch that video! - Really?

I was overjoyed, really.

It made me love you even more.

She had so much fun!

I was there as a guest,

but I wanted to watch you up front instead of starring as the guest.

So, on the first day,

- You just came to watch the concert. - I went as an audience,

and then I performed as the guest performer on the second day.

But I wanted to watch it again. I had all the fun I wanted.

I always wanted to have a concert,

but it was difficult as my vocal cords weren't so healthy.

Really,

I couldn't even dream of it.

But through my time as a part of Refund Sisters...

and on "Dancing Queens on the Road,"

I built up a lot of courage.

It reminded me how precious it was...

to stand on stage.

Many people requested for me to have a concert after yours.

- You should hold one. - But I'm still not brave enough.

Why not?

Please have a concert!

I'm just scared.

As long as you have a heart for it,

you can always find a way to make it happen.

Had you not stepped up and mustered up your courage,

nothing would've given...

as much happiness as your concert...

to the many people who were there to watch you.

- Right. - Everyone had such a great time.

The man over there. You raised your hand, right?

Just now?

Oh, you're a fan.

- Thank you. - Are you here with your daughter?

You know those big hearts are only for older people like us, right?

That's from our generation.

The heart over your head. Oh, a finger heart too!

Thank you.

It was an absolutely delightful time.

And just watching you going strong,

as pressuring as it may be to you,

is a huge inspiration to your junior artists.

I really wanted to tell you that here.

Let's give her a round of applause.

I debuted in 1998 with "Blue Rain,"

and Jung Hwa was...

- promoting "Invitation" in that year. - Yes, I released "Invitation" in 1998.

In what year did you debut, then?

In 1993.

In 1993, with "Pupil!"

- Right, it was "Pupil?" - You weren't born then, were you?

- Yes, "Pupil." - That was her debut song.

Yes, it was.

And you were in the MBC Choir before debuting.

- Right? - Uhm Jung Hwa!

- This... - I don't remember this!

- My gosh! - Fin.K.L!

How adorable!

- Wasn't I so pretty then? - Yes, you were!

This was in 1998.

Look at Jong Min.

What's with the outfit?

You were such a baby!

Yes, I was.

How adorable!

We were so young!

I was cute too.

You were wearing heavy makeup, but your face...

- still looked like a baby. - We were such babies, right?

- That was in 1998. - Look at you, Hyo Ri!

- I was a little... - You still had your baby fat!

And I'm not sure if the look is supposed to look...

like I just got up, but the makeup and the outfit...

Back then, to us, Jung Hwa was...

an unapproachable superstar.

We'd look at you and go, "Look, a real celebrity!"

- But Fin.K.L debuted, - Yes.

and every member was so youthful and pretty.

All of your songs were so good too.

- But among them all, Hyo Ri... - Did I stand out to you, back then, too?

Of course.

"She'll take the mask off soon."

"She's not someone you can mask with anything."

- "She's one of us." - I noticed that...

during the time, the whole group's image changed.

What was that song?

- "Now!" - "Now." When you released that song...

Oh, when we wore jackets and flapped them?

The whole group's image had a big transformation.

That was when I thought, "That's a bit risky."

- "She'll join our side soon." - Yes, I thought that.

And, of course, that came true.

I became one of you.

You're the original military queen.

Do people still use the term "military queen?"

Back in our days,

when female artists performed for military camps,

the men there went crazy for us.

That was why it was exciting for singers to perform at military camps.

Yes, I was very popular at military camps.

Did you perform at many military camps?

I've pretty much been everywhere.

- All over the country? - Of course.

Do they still hold performances at military camps now?

- Do they? - Oh, they just don't invite us?

I guess they just don't invite us.

It's been quite some years since I've been to one,

so I thought they stopped holding these performances.

- But they still have them? - Yes.

Invite us too!

Keep it diverse, you know?

We can still perform well.

It's your 32nd year since your debut, and you've released about 150 songs.

- That's right. - About 150 songs.

You have so many huge hits.

What are they?

Why don't you list them?

- "Pupil" in 1993. - "Pupil."

- "The Rose of Betrayal" in 1997. - "The Rose of Betrayal."

"Invitation" in 1998, then "Poison."

Yes, in the same year.

And...

"I Don't Know" in 1999.

- That was a mega-hit. - Yes.

Then, you took quite a long break...

after 1999.

- Right? - I had...

- An identity crisis? - a huge identity crisis about my music.

But during those years, I released "Come 2 Me."

- "Come 2 Me" in 2006. - Yes.

You only wore your panties for the first TV performance.

My outfit right now is similar to my outfit back then.

It's a lot less risky now as you're wearing a mesh dress.

But you wore that outfit at an awards ceremony,

which was your first performance back.

- No, it was an opening ceremony... - For a broadcasting company?

- for a broadcasting company. - An opening ceremony?

Yes, it was tvN.

People lost their minds after I went off the stage.

I'm sure you surprised a lot of people.

Yes, I brought the Naver server down.

- It went absolutely viral. - You heard all things, bad and good?

No, I didn't hear anything good.

- No? - No.

And after you, the junior colleagues started catching on.

- I wore those quite a lot too. - Yes.

I knew being the pioneer would attract too much negativity from people,

so I just waited until someone went first.

Going second gets you a lot less negativity, you know?