Lee Hyori is leaving Instagram for good.
According to a report by All Kpop, the singer posted her last selfie on her Instagram account before announcing that she is leaving the social media platform permanently. In the image captioned "the last selfie," Lee Hyori greeted fans with a close-up photo.
It can be recalled that, last September 2, Lee Hyori announced that she will stop using Instagram within the next three days. She said that her decision was not entirely because of the flood of malicious comments and criticisms she received because of a recent issue involving a statement she made on variety show Hang Out with Yoo.
However, she admitted that it was one of the reasons for quitting the platform. In her letter to fans, she explained that she did not anticipate that the platform would be harder to manage than she expected. Lee Hyori added that she felt bad for worrying the fans even more because of misunderstandings.
Lee Hyori promised to find a different way of communicating with her fans. She thanked them for checking in with her activities through Instagram and for giving her more love and support than she expected. She, also, thanked her critics for stating their opinions. She wished her fans to stay healthy and well as she bade them goodbye on social media.
Among those who reacted to Lee Hyori's last selfie were her Refund Expedition project group members Uhm Jung Hwa and Jessi. Hyori's Fin.K.L members Sung Yuri and Lee Jin, also, shared their love for their leader. It can be recalled that Lee Hyori became the subject of criticisms when she made a joke on Yoo Jae Suk's show Hang Out with Yoo.
During an interview, the members of Refund Expedition, including Lee Hyo Ri, Uhm Jung Hwa, MAMAMOO's Hwasa, and rapper Jessi were asked about their upcoming activities and plans to promote overseas. The members playfully suggested going global with Chinese sounding names. Hyori suggested that she take on the stage name Mao.
Her statement did not sit well with viewers of the show who felt like she was disrespecting Mao Zedong, the former leader of the Communist Party of China. In the space of two days, Lee Hyori's Instagram was flooded by 100,000 hate comments from Chinese netizens who chided her for making a joke out of one of the most iconic political figures in their country. Some netizens defended Hyori by saying that the Mao surname was not exclusive to Mao Zedong.
