Actor Choi Sung-won (최성원), who rose to fame playing Sung Sun-woo's younger brother 'Sung Yu-hui' in the hit drama 'Reply 1988,' recently spoke for the first time about his experience battling leukemia twice. Recalling his years of fighting the disease, he became emotional, stating through tears, "It was so painful, I don't even want to think about it."
Choi will appear on the upcoming episode of KBS 2TV's variety show 'Happy Together – Better Because You're Not Alone,' airing on the 7th. He will be joined by close friends of 20 years, Park Hae-soo (박해수), Lim Chul-soo (임철수), and Park Jae-yoon (박재윤), to share their life stories and enduring friendships.
A preview for the show revealed Choi breaking down in tears while discussing his leukemia diagnosis. Host Jang Hang-jun (장항준) carefully remarked, "At the time, your work was gaining attention, and then suddenly news of your illness broke." Choi choked up, saying, "I got sick in 2016, and then it recurred. It was truly, truly painful." He paused, unable to hold back tears, admitting, "Those days were so agonizing that I don't want to recall them now."
His friend Lim Chul-soo, who stood by him, recalled the shock of hearing the news. "I was truly terrified; I just walked and cried all day," he said. Park Hae-soo added that he always believed his friend would recover and regain his health.
Choi gained recognition in 2015 for his role as Deok-sun's younger brother, 'Sung Yu-hui,' in the tvN K-drama 'Reply 1988.' However, the following year, just as his career was taking off, he was diagnosed with acute leukemia, forcing him to halt all acting activities for treatment.
In 2018, he successfully overcame the illness and returned to the entertainment industry. Yet, in 2020, the leukemia recurred, necessitating a bone marrow transplant. After approximately two years of treatment, he eventually announced a full recovery.
Choi has previously admitted on variety shows that he still experiences several after-effects even after recovering. He revealed, "My physical condition is sometimes good, sometimes not. To ensure complete treatment, I underwent a bone marrow transplant, but I couldn't avoid the after-effects and side effects."
He further explained that the most prominent symptom is widespread dryness. "My nails crack, my eyes and mouth are very dry, and I even get out of breath easily," he shared, candidly detailing his post-illness physical condition, which deeply moved many viewers.
