As One Marked 12 Years Apart, Then Lee Min Was Gone: Remembering Her Final Stage

August 5 marks one year since As One member Lee Min was found at her home, no longer alive. She was 46 years old, born in December 1978, and her passing came as a sudden shock to the Korean music community and to the longtime fans who had just welcomed her back.

The last time most people saw Lee Min on screen, he was grinning in front of Park Bo-gum. That moment came on May 9, 2024, when As One appeared on KBS2's The Seasons: Park Bo-gum's Cantabile for what would become their final broadcast together. It was the duo's first joint television appearance in roughly 12 years, and their first music show stage in six.

To make the reunion happen, Crystal flew in from the United States without hesitation. "I didn't want to miss this opportunity, so I came right away," she said on air, laughing. "If I hadn't shown up, I think we would have had a falling out." The two performed several of As One's most beloved songs, and Lee Min made no secret of his nerves or his admiration for host Park Bo-gum. Before taking the stage, he half-jokingly asked whether he could sing with his back turned, saying he couldn't function properly with the MC in his line of sight.

When the performance ended, Park Bo-gum told the pair he was too sad to just let them go. "I really hope you'll join us again next week," he said, "and I hope there will be a day when we can all meet with Lee Min-seonbaenim again." That day didn't come.

As One had been quietly rebuilding momentum at the time. In February 2024, they released "Still My Baby," followed by "Happy Birthday" in June. For fans who had waited years for new material, the back-to-back releases and the full-group broadcast felt like a real comeback. The joy was short-lived. Three months after the Cantabile appearance, Lee Min was gone. Crystal, who had returned to the United States after the broadcast, flew back immediately to be with her partner and friend in his final days.

The duo debuted in 1999 with "Day by Day" and built a devoted following over the years through songs known for their delicate harmonies and emotional precision, including "I Want and Resent," "You're Welcome," "I Hope Only You Don't Know," and "Should I Be Sorry." Their sound had a particular softness to it, a quality that made Lee Min's voice feel familiar and close even after years of relative quiet.

That voice reached fans one more time after he was gone. On September 30, 2024, As One released their final single, "I'm Only Loving You," featuring recordings Lee Min had completed before his passing. It was both a posthumous work and the group's official farewell, a quiet closing note to a career built on harmony.