Kang In, formerly of Super Junior, has announced a return to music with a new release.
The 41-year-old singer shared the news via his YouTube channel on Monday, speaking about his upcoming digital single, “Love Is Pain.”
“It’s been a long time since I last greeted you,” Kang In said in the video. “Thankfully, I was able to start a fan meeting tour this year, beginning in the Philippines.”
He added that while the song has not been fully finalized, he had the chance to perform it for fans during the tour, and their support gave him the courage to officially release it.
“I had many concerns, but thinking of the fans who have waited for me, I decided to release a digital single,” he said, expressing gratitude and promising to show a better side of himself going forward.
Kang In debuted in 2005 in Super Junior and was active in the group before becoming embroiled in multiple controversies, including drunk driving and assault cases, which led to a long hiatus from group activities.
In 2009, the singer was booked for assault after a drunken altercation and was later involved in a hit-and-run drunk driving incident. In 2015, he was charged for failing to attend reserve forces training, and in 2016, he was fined 7 million won ($4,680 in 2026) for another drunk driving case. He was also involved in an assault controversy in 2017.
Following repeated controversies, he left the group in 2019. After a period of self-reflection, he returned to the public eye in 2023 through a YouTube channel to reconnect with fans.
Public reaction to his comeback has been mixed, with some criticizing his return due to past misconduct, while others say he has taken sufficient time to reflect and support his comeback.
This was translated from a story by Herald Business reporter Choi Won-hyeok (choigo@heraldcorp.com) and edited by Korea Herald editor Lee Sun-young (milaya@heraldcorp.com).
A link to the original version of the story is here:
https://biz.heraldcorp.com/article/10711915
milaya@heraldcorp.com
