Former INFINITE member Hoya opens up about how he wasn't able to truly be himself as an idol

Recently, Lee Ho Won engaged in an interview with Oh My News and gave sincere�thoughts about his new start.�

When asked if he's looking forward to his solo promotions, Lee Ho Won answered, "(As an idol) I was trapped because I was frequently told that 'Idols have to be this way'. Enemies always formed whenever I shared my true opinions. I naturally came to accept that idols�only have to say things that people will like and the things that won't cause controversies. I lived that way and since I did, I always gave the proper answers created by my agency and gave responses that did not go out of the boundary during interviews. When those things continued on into my mid-20s, I felt skeptical. I felt like I was losing myself as a person. I think you can and should talk about your political�views on social media, and share your honest thoughts in interviews even if it might cause controversies."

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He continued, "Since a few years ago, I came to think that I need to tell the stories that I want to share instead of worrying about, 'Will the public like this music?', or 'Will this harm my image?' Now I'm trying my best to live that way. In the past, I used to think, 'If I do this, it'll be good, right? And people will like it?' but now I try to do it if it's fun and not do it if it's not fun."

Lee Ho Won also shared plans for his solo music release. He stated, "I've been preparing for an album since last year and it's also been completed. The MV filming and album jacket shoot have not yet been processed but the song production, which is the most important part, has been done."