Lee Kwang-jo marks 50 years with new album centered on yearning

Lee Kwang-jo marks 50 years with new album centered on yearning: K-POP / 연합뉴스 / 2025-12-08 11:17:24

▲ Veteran singer Lee Kwang-jo speaks during an interview at Yonhap News Agency's Seoul headquarters held on Dec. 3, 2025, upon releasing the new album, "Glory Days," with guitarist Ham Choon-ho, his longtime musical partner of 46 years. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

SEOUL, Dec. 8 (Yonhap) -- Veteran singer Lee Kwang-jo, 73, has released a new album, "Glory Days," with guitarist Ham Choon-ho, his longtime musical partner of 46 years.

The new album marks their first collaboration in three years and five months since their 2022 joint project "Aesthetic Acoustic Feast."

While Lee’s previous works such as "I Lost My Love," "Let’s Forget Now" and "Sorrowful Love" were steeped in his signature melancholy, the new album reflects a warmer emotional tone blended with Ham’s gentle guitar melodies.

"Glory Days" features 10 tracks, including the new songs "I Miss You, I Miss You, I Miss You" and "What Is Love," as well as his signature hits "Joyful Life" and "Oh! You Are a Beautiful Woman."

▲ Veteran singer Lee Kwang-jo attends his interview at Yonhap News Agency's Seoul headquarters held on Dec. 3, 2025, upon releasing the new album, "Glory Days," with guitarist Ham Choon-ho, his longtime musical partner of 46 years. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

Speaking at an interview with Yonhap News in Seoul on Wednesday, Lee said the title track "I Miss You, I Miss You, I Miss You" reflects how yearning deepens with age. “Loneliness can pass, but yearning never really fades,” he said.

The album also features jazz-style reinterpretations of Lee Nan-young’s 1939 classic "Blue Dream of the Tearoom" and Namgoong Ok-boon’s hit "Reunion."

Debuting in 1976 with "For an Outing," Lee is set to mark his 50th anniversary next year. Over his career, he produced numerous hits, including "Too Far to Be Close," "I Lost My Love" and "My Lover."