Onew recently opened up about a difficult time he experienced.

On July 27 KST, the SHINee leader appeared as a special guest on the latest episode of TWICE Jungyeon's YouTube show 'The Inspector,' titled 'Meeting Onew for the First Time?! What Happens When the 'No Jams' of TWICE and SHINee Meet!'.

During the episode, Onew dropped by JYP Entertainment to donate some gifts and spend time with Jungyeon at a playground near the agency. Among the gifts he donated was a cherished baseball glove.

"This is a pitcher's glove. It was during 2010 or 2011, I had vocal cord surgery and couldn't speak for about six months," he explained as he showed Jungyeon his glove. "During that time, I bought this glove and spent six months throwing the ball in silence. That period of anxiety, loneliness, and hardships – I can say that it was a friend that helped me withstand that."

Meanwhile, Onew previously underwent surgery to remove vocal cord polyps and restore his voice, which led to a hiatus in activities. During that period, he worked hard on rehabilitation, relearning how to produce sound from scratch.

Check out the full 'The Inspector' episode above!