Lee Hyori Says Husband Stared Out Window Like 'The Last Leaf'

Lee Hyori is relieved to have her husband, musician Lee Sang-soon, back on the air after his health-related hiatus. He had stepped away from work because of a nervous system condition.

Radio host Lee Sang Soon had stepped away from the show for a while because of health problems and returned earlier this month.

Lee Hyori opened with an apology to listeners. "Listeners, Lee Sang-soon has been away a lot," she said. "So once again, as his family, I want to say I'm truly sorry."

"I'm grateful just that he can host the radio show again," she added.

The two arrived at work together that day. "It's been a while since Lee Hyori was on the show, too," Lee Sang Soon said, sounding pleased to have her there.

Lee Hyori joked back. "Lee Sang-soon was off, so why would I have had a reason to come on?"

She said his return has lifted her mood. "Just going to work together and seeing Lee Sang-soon head out makes me happy," she said. "Every day at home, he was lying there staring out the window like the last leaf. I can't tell you how grateful I am."

The line drew laughs. She was referring to the famous short story "The Last Leaf," about a sick woman who watches the leaves fall outside her window.

Lee Sang Soon played along. "Watching me lie there with no energy for a month, she was thinking, 'When is this guy going to leave the house?'" he said with a laugh.

Lee Hyori explained how she kept tabs on him. "I'd check in now and then and ask, 'Are you the last leaf right now?'" she said. "If he nodded, it meant he wasn't doing so well. If not, it meant he was OK."

"We actually have a tree at home that's lost almost all its leaves," Lee Sang Soon said. "I was staring at that one."

"Luckily, the last one didn't fall," Lee Hyori said.

Lee Sang Soon stopped hosting the show in late August after his physical condition suddenly worsened. After several tests and consultations, doctors found symptoms associated with reduced vagus nerve function, a nerve that helps regulate basic body functions like heart rate and digestion.

He took a break from work to focus on his recovery before returning earlier this month. Judging by the easy back-and-forth in the studio, the break hasn't changed the show's dynamic. If anything, the jokes about the last leaf made the recovery feel like something the whole audience got to share.