Yoon Hyun-sook Opens Up About Her Near-Death Experience with Diabetes

Yoon Hyun-sook recently revealed her harrowing experience with diabetes, which brought her close to death.

On the Channel A show 'Best Friends Documentary – Four-Person Dining Table' aired on the 2nd, Byun Jung-soo invited Yoon Hyun-sook, Hong Seok-cheon, and Byun Jung-min to her home.

Yoon Hyun-sook debuted in 1993 with the co-ed group ZAM and also pursued an acting career. In 2008, she ventured into the fashion business in the United States.

While discussing their favorite foods, Yoon Hyun-sook confessed, "What I really want to eat is tteokbokki," but added, "I can't eat snacks because I have diabetes." Byun Jung-soo remarked, "You almost died in the U.S.," to which Yoon Hyun-sook explained, "I was diagnosed with diabetes in 2022."

The four friends shared a meal and conversation. Yoon Hyun-sook reflected on her sudden rise to fame, saying, "I became a star overnight. I joined ZAM because I didn't want to go to school, and it was fun hanging out with the members. But then I actually became a singer. I woke up one day, and I was popular." After ZAM disbanded, she continued her career with Lee Hye-young in the group COCO, which also gained significant popularity. Yoon Hyun-sook candidly shared, "Then I went to graduate school and studied abroad. People say my life is enviable, but I didn't work hard for it."

Yoon Hyun-sook recounted how she discovered her diabetes. "During COVID-19, I gained weight, reaching my heaviest at 56kg, while I usually weighed 49kg," she said. "Then my weight dropped to 48kg without any effort on my part. My clothes didn't fit, and I was constantly thirsty, unable to hold conversations. My weight continued to drop to 38kg, which is too low to stand." Realizing something was wrong, she visited a doctor who diagnosed her with diabetes. "The doctor said it was the first time seeing someone walk in at this stage. By then, most people have lost all muscle, including heart muscle, leading to cardiac arrest," she recalled, shocking everyone.

Yoon Hyun-sook shared, "I was immediately prescribed insulin. They told me it was dangerous to be alone at home." Hong Seok-cheon joked, "Did you bring a man home then?" Yoon Hyun-sook laughed, "I didn't have a man to bring, so I went to a friend's house." She continued, "The scary part is hypoglycemia. It's not just about high levels; low levels are dangerous too. My levels once dropped to 49, which is near fainting. If you faint with no one around, you could die." She emphasized the importance of health management, saying, "After facing death, people told me, 'Please don't eat like that,' 'Please start taking care of yourself.' I urge everyone not to experience this."

Kim Ji-won, TenAsia Reporter bella@tenasia.co.kr