Kim Woo-bin, 6 months for nasopharyngeal cancer

Actor Kim Woo-bin recently reflected on the time he was diagnosed with nasopharyngeal cancer and given a terminal prognosis.

On the 16th, Kim Woo-bin and Kim Sung-kyun appeared as guests on the YouTube channel 'Jjanhanyoung Shin Dong-yup.'

During the show, Kim Woo-bin, who had previously appeared with Shin Dong-yup in the sitcom 'Vampire Idol,' reminisced, "You used to buy me a lot of drinks when I was younger. I even went to your house, and your wife was there." Shin Dong-yup responded with a laugh, "When I told my wife I was drinking with Woo-bin, she said, 'Why don't you drink at our place?'"

Kim Woo-bin was diagnosed with nasopharyngeal cancer in May 2017 and underwent five years of treatment. He made his comeback in 2022 with the drama 'Our Blues.'

Kim Woo-bin shared, "I didn't drink at all during the five years of treatment. I had my first drink after my comeback at the wrap party for the movie 'Alienoid' with my close friend Jo In-sung. Now, I only drink occasionally, like when I travel." On the show, Kim Woo-bin toasted with non-alcoholic beer.

Reflecting on his battle with cancer and the radiation therapy he underwent, Kim Woo-bin said, "I'm generally a positive person who looks for the silver lining. When I heard 'as short as six months,' I was shocked and scared. It felt like a nightmare."

Despite this, he added, "I never thought, 'What if I can't overcome this?' From the beginning, I saw it as an opportunity. I kept my spirits up throughout the treatment."

Kim Woo-bin continued, "I hadn't taken a break for over ten years since my debut, so I saw this as a time given by the heavens to reflect and spend time with my family. I met with loved ones. The physical struggle of treatment is the same for everyone, but I received a lot of support and prayers simply because I was a public figure. I truly believe in the power of that support."

Thanks to this support, Kim Woo-bin recovered quickly. He said, "The progress was so good that even the doctors were surprised. It was visibly noticeable. I want to pass on the prayers I received to more people. I always pray for miracles to happen in more families. I feel it's my duty to cherish and share this gift."

Shin Dong-yup asked Kim Woo-bin, who has been publicly dating actress Shin Min-ah for ten years, "Did you tell her you were coming on the show?" Kim Woo-bin humorously dodged the question by taking a sip of his drink and joking, "Did you tell your mom?" He then playfully said, "Mom, I'm on YouTube," eliciting laughter.

Reporter Taeyuna, TenAsia youyou@tenasia.co.kr