Tey, who suddenly disappeared at his peak... "My manager, who was everything to me, has passed away"

Singer Tey (43, real name Kim Ho-kyung) revealed the reason he stopped activities during his prime.

On the 11th, Tey appeared on MBC's 'Songs That Survived Today - Playlist 109'.

When asked about difficult periods on the broadcast, Tey said, "There wasn't any particularly major incident or accident," and began by stating, "I suddenly stopped appearing on broadcasts after my fourth album."

Tey revealed that he was deeply affected by the death of his manager, with whom he had worked for a long time.

He said, "A manager I was close to passed away due to a choice he made himself," and added, "At that time, I had no family or friends; that manager was everything to me."

He recalled, "We lived together since my debut. When things went well, I would hug him and cry, and when he got married, I contributed the money I earned."

The manager scolded Tey during a phone call just one week before his death.

Tey confessed, "He asked why I wasn't working harder, so for the first time, I told him, 'I'm also struggling.' We spent the entire call crying and talking; that was our last conversation. There was no contact for four days afterward, and then I learned what had happened."

Afterward, Tey said he lived while ignoring his emotions.

He stated, "From age 27 to 30, I avoided my emotions for about three years," adding, "I didn't even realize it might be a mental illness; I didn't shed a single tear for those three years."

He continued, "I was in such pain that I didn't even want to know the reason behind his choice," and said, "I resented him for leaving without giving me a chance to resolve things together, yet I missed him so much."

Although he left music to escape sorrow, it was music that brought Tey back.

Regarding his comeback after a three-year hiatus, Tey said, "I survived thanks to music and my friends. One of the friends who always gathers with me is Noh Yoon-kwon." He explained, "I didn't want to listen to music, but they played upbeat songs. Watching myself forget everything and have fun without thinking along to that song made me realize, 'I am someone who must live with music for the rest of my life.'"

Tey chose Soran's 'Ricotta Cheese Salad' as his 'support song' that kept him going.

He explained the reason by saying, "It captures exciting emotions well and makes me imagine delicious foods," adding, "I met a new world I couldn't have imagined and gained hope that I could live happily again."