'Singing Dentist' Lee Ji Makes a Bold Switch After 17 Years, Going From Seoul National University Dental School Graduate to Trot Singer

'17 Years of Silence' Seoul National University dentist who broke it, 'Trot' shaking up the scene

Lee Ji (Lee Ji-young), returning to the music industry after a long 17-year hiatus, is proving anything but ordinary. He debuted in 2003 with 'Storm', stirring listeners with an emotional ballad, but this time he pulled out the unexpectedly bold card of 'trot'. New song 'Our Oppa-Ya' is packed with witty lyrics that draw clever parallels between the feelings of being in love and 'love tooth (canker sore tooth)' and 'root canal treatment'. By transforming the professional expertise of his day job—an alum of Seoul National University’s dental college—into musical wit, he has created an 'unrivaled identity' that no established singer can imitate. His comeback, breaking the quiet of the clinic and stepping onto a dazzling stage, goes beyond a simple return—it is a 'bold provocation'.

'A K-pop maestro' touch and 'studying by day, working by night' determination produce a masterpiece

This new release is not a light detour. 'Newcomer Suh Producer', who led the heyday of first-generation idols such as Fin.K.L and S.E.S., served as overall producer, lifting the song’s completion to another level. Over a buoyant rhythm, the dazzling 'saxophone performance' maximizes the pleasure for the ears. The visual impact is just as strong. The music video, featuring acting star Jo Jae-yoon and singer Jo Jung-min as supporters, shot straight into 'the top 30 ranks on the YouTube Music chart', standing shoulder to shoulder with K-pop idol acts. The intense training of 'studying by day, working by night', holding surgical tools in the daytime and grabbing a microphone at night, remade the vocals he had previously honed for plain ballads into a perfectly 'trot-optimized singing style'.

'A middle-aged Jang Won-young' in his sights, the diva’s evolution that won’t stop

Even after graduating from 'Seoul National University College of Dentistry' in 1998 and enduring a punishing training course, the obsession that never let go of music ultimately led to an even wider blossoming. Lee Ji mentions Jang Won-young, the idol his elementary school daughter looks up to, and does not hide his bold plan to establish himself as a 'middle-aged idol'. He is also signaling the birth of a nationwide 'confession song' that is meant to follow in the footsteps of Lee Seung-gi’s 'If She Were My Woman', and he is directly targeting even the music-broadcast stage where he can prove his grueling effort. With no settling into a comfortable routine, the second heyday of 'Artist Lee Ji' has just begun its opening act.