Broadcaster Lee Sang-min opened up about the past self-harm incident caused by a song plagiarism controversy. On March 2, in a video uploaded to the YouTube channel 'Sympathetic Hyung Shin Dong-yeop,' he recalled the plagiarism controversy surrounding Rula's "Cheonsang Yu-ae." Lee Sang-min said, "I had all the songs prepared and was about to go on air when the exact same song was already uploaded on the internet." He confessed, "I was shocked when I found out the original song existed. If it had been a remake, there wouldn't have been a problem, but my pride was hurt."

Lee Sang-min explained his feelings at the time, saying, "I was so distressed that I was hospitalized." His close friend Tak Jae-hoon recalled that time, saying, "I saw a false report about him attempting suicide and ran to the hospital crying." He said he held Lee Sang-min's wrist and cried, saying, "Even I, who only had 1,000 won, am living, so why should you die?" However, Lee Sang-min laughed as he explained the situation, saying, "The bandages came off, and scabs had already formed. The wound wasn't serious."

Lee Sang-min clarified, "It wasn't a suicide attempt; I got slightly hurt by hitting the glass in anger. That's when I learned that everything must be fact-checked." Rula's "Cheonsang Yu-ae" was suspected of plagiarizing the song "Omatsuri Ninja" by the Japanese idol group Ninja, and this was proven to be true. "Omatsuri Ninja" is a remake of "Omatsuri Mambo," originally sung by enka singer Mizora Hibari.

Released in 1995, Rula's "Cheonsang Yu-ae" was embroiled in controversy for plagiarizing "Omasuri Ninja" by the six-member Japanese group Ninja. Lee Sang-min previously mentioned on a broadcast, "There were separate composers for 'Cheonsang Yu-ae.' However, I felt guilty for singing that song." He explained his feelings at the time, saying, "I loved the song so much that I worked hard to train the members and finished recording, but the plagiarism controversy arose even before the broadcast started."

Lee Sang-min expressed his stance on the plagiarism controversy, saying, "I was shocked even when I heard it myself. There was a singer who sang the exact same song I sang." He emphasized, "If it had been a remake, nothing would have happened, but my pride was deeply hurt," and added, "I didn't want to die."

Tak Jae-hoon, worried about Lee Sang-min's condition at the time, said, "I saw him wearing bandages and looked at his wrist, and scabs had already formed." He added, "Seeing the wound healing so quickly, it was absurd compared to the chaos that had erupted." Lee Sang-min said he learned a lesson from this incident, stating, "I learned that everything must be verified truthfully."

The past plagiarism controversy was a huge shock to Lee Sang-min and affected his broadcasting activities. He has mentioned this incident several times since then, expressing his position. Lee Sang-min expressed his determination not to lose his sense of responsibility as a broadcaster and his passion for music.