Joy of Red Velvet announces indefinite hiatus due to health issues

Joy has gone on a break citing health reasons. Courtesy of SM Entertainment

By Jung Han-byul

K-pop star Joy of Red Velvet is taking a break due to concerns surrounding her health.

According to her agency SM Entertainment on April 26, “Joy visited a hospital recently after feeling unwell, where she was strongly recommended to take proper treatment and rest by the medical staff.”

Joy has canceled all of her scheduled upcoming events to focus on her recovery. SM Entertainment stated, “We apologize for making our fans worry and we want to ask them for their understanding on the matter. This decision was made after a long discussion on the matter concerning her health. We will make sure Joy fully recovers so that she can meet her fans again, and we will share updates with you later when we know more about the timeline of her return.”

Joy had been a regular panelist alongside Shin Dong-yup, Chung Sun-hee and Tony Ahn for “TV Animal Farm” on SBS. Regarding the latest situation, an official at SBS said, “Joy will not be at the recording of 'TV Animal Farm' today and her three other co-stars will be hosting the program.” The official added, “We'll probably hire a special guest from the next episode onwards. However, we're still trying to decide who will host the program and until when.”

Red Velvet is best known for its many hits including “Ice Cream Cake,” “Red Flavor,” “Zimzalabim” and “Feel My Rhythm”. Joy had also enjoyed a burgeoning acting career, being credited for her roles in “The Liar and His Lover” and “Only You”.

Jung Han-byul (onestar101@hankookilbo.com) is a reporter at The Hankook Ilbo, a sister publication of The Korea Times. This article, previously published in The Hankook Ilbo, has been translated as part of a news-sharing program.