Once Dubbed “The 2nd IU,” Here’s Where Singer Juniel Is Now

She was incredibly sick.

Back in 2012, Juniel burst onto the K-Pop scene with hit songs like “Illa Illa,” “Bad Man,” and Babo,” earning the nickname “the second IU” for her sweet voice and acoustic charm. But after her early success, fans began wondering why she suddenly disappeared from the spotlight.

In a recent appearance on YouTube’s One Mic, Juniel revealed the reasons why she suddenly went MIA. She took a hiatus of around two years between late 2017 and 2019. She continued to release singles in 2020 and 2021, but never promoted extensively. Juniel explained that she had been struggling with health issues caused by hypothyroidism, which led to extreme fatigue and a 10kg weight gain.

“There were many reasons, but the two biggest factors that made it hard for me to stay active were COVID-19 and my health problems. I had to take a long break. I developed hypothyroidism, so my stamina dropped a lot, and I became extremely lethargic. My body felt heavy all the time. With hypothyroidism, you gain a lot of weight even if you live the same way as before. The swelling doesn’t go down — it just turns into weight.”

She struggled incredibly with the weight.

“I kept gaining weight for no reason and wondered, ‘What’s wrong with me?’ After I got treatment and started medication, I lost about 8kg in a month. I was under a lot of stress and felt really depressed at the time, so I stopped meeting people completely. My weight went up to 60kg — I gained over 10kg, and it was so stressful.”

Thankfully, Juniel says her condition is now under control, though she still needs regular checkups and consistent exercise.

“There’s nothing seriously wrong right now, but I have to monitor it because it can worsen anytime. My stamina still isn’t what it used to be, so I’m working hard to build it back up.”

After years of silence, fans are touched to see Juniel sharing her story with honesty and courage. Hopefully, she will return to the stage soon!