The Lee Hyori revival: project groups Refund Sisters and SSAK3 gave the first-gen K-pop star a delightful 2020 comeback – and we can’t get enough

Nov 12 , 2020

Everyone’s favourite first generation K-pop diva made an impressive comeback this summer – pandemic be damned. Photo: @leehyori.leehyolee/Instagram

Joining Running Man MC Yoo Jae-suk and OG rapper Rain in SSAK3 – plus Mamamoo’s Hwasa, Uhm Jung-hwa and Jessi in Refund Sisters – early 2000s idol Lee Hyori is back with alter egos Linda G and Chun Ok, and even produced Koyote’s new single Delete

Every K-pop fan worth their salt knows who Lee Hyori is. She was the hottest K-pop diva of the 2000s, and generally believed to be one of the best female idols among the first generation of K-pop artists thanks to her group Fin.K.L. She even held the Guinness World Record for most appearances on the front page of a newspaper, according to Soompi (891, in case you were wondering).

After spending some time travelling, doing commercials and getting married – and despite the pandemic – the now-41-year-old Lee Hyori has made a most impressive recent comeback as Linda G thanks to the ridiculously fun project groups SSAK3 (consisting of her, Running Man MC Yoo Jae-suk and OG K-pop star Rain); and Refund Sisters, an unconventionally sassy quartet featured on reality show Hangout with Yoo.

Heck, she’s even helped produce Koyote’s latest record. Read on for more about her new guises and why they’ve become so successful.

Linda G of SSAK3

SSAK3 is a mixed supergroup of seasoned K-pop stars first formed on the variety show Hangout with Yoo. Earlier this year, comedian and host Yoo Jae-suk, otherwise known as the “Nation’s MC”, announced he wanted to form a co-ed group to perform this summer. Lee Hyori and world-famous Korean pop star Rain joined to make up the numbers – and the rest is history.

She chose the name Linda G (which, hilariously, is derived from the Korean word jirinda, meaning “to wet one’s pants”) while taking part in SSAK3. And if you’re not au fait with Korean slang, it’s also worth pointing out that SSAK3 means “clean sweep” – a particularly apt name for the group that really did sweep the Korean charts this summer. In fact, the trio topped the Gaon Music Charts for five consecutive weeks.

After their stage debut on July 25, songs In Summer, Beach Again and Play That Summer went viral both online and offline. Given the global pandemic and lack of travel, it’s probably no surprise that the nostalgic, sun-kissed tunes did so well.

Fans were even more delighted to discover that all of the profits from the singles went to those in need, according to MBC, who produced the show.