Singer Im Jae Bum will take a temporary leave of absence on MBC's "I Am a Singer". On May 23rd, "I Am a Singer" PD, Shin Jung Soo, stated, "Im Jae Bum will be taking a temporary leave, he will be returning as soon as possible." On this day, Im Jae Bum participated in the broadcast of "I Am a Singer". Afterward, he went up on stage and explained his situation and thanked the fans where he revealed that he would be leaving the program. Representatives of Im Jae Bum stated, "After receiving surgery for acute appendicitis, the hospital ordered Im Jae Bum to not sing for about 4 weeks and have a good rest. Because of this, it will be hard for him to continue on 'I Am a Singer'." The production crew explained, "No decisions have been finalized about Im Jae Bum's leave from the show. For now, he will participate in today's filming. After, we will discuss the future course of action with the other singers." Meanwhile, on May 16th, Im Jae Bum went to the emergency room because of sudden abdominal pains. He was diagnosed with acute appendicitis and received surgery. Source: Star News via Nate