Tony An Opens Up About Battling Depression in His Late 20s

Singer Tony An recently shared his struggles with severe depression during his late 20s.

On the October 29th episode of tvN STORY's variety show 'Accidental Adult' 10th-anniversary special, former World Bank President Kim Yong delivered a lecture titled 'Is Korea Finished?'.

Before diving into the main lecture, Kim shared various anecdotes, including being recommended for the presidency of Dartmouth College and receiving high praise from former U.S. President Barack Obama during his World Bank presidential interview. Host Kim Sang-joong remarked, "You pass every interview. You're a master of interviews."

Kim then explained why Korea, once admired for its education system supported by the World Bank, is now referred to as 'Hell Joseon'. He discussed issues like excessive educational fervor, low birth rates, and solitary deaths, while also introducing innovative foreign examples to offer new insights. Kim noted, "The questions I faced when applying to medical school were exactly the same as Korea's 7-year-old exam issue."

He also touched on depression, a major social issue in Korea, stating, "In the U.S., many celebrities like Dwayne Johnson, Lady Gaga, and Emma Thompson openly talk about depression."

Kim continued, "I was fortunate to meet BTS. I was with them when they spoke at the UN, and RM's speech on 'loving yourself' resonated deeply, even though it wasn't directly about depression or suicide. It allowed us to discuss depression together," he said with a smile.

Panelist Tony An revealed, "I also suffered from severe depression in my late 20s. There was a time when I thought about death daily and heavily relied on alcohol and medication."

He added, "I lived on a high floor and often had dark thoughts looking down. I even held a knife at times. There were many dangerous moments," he confessed. "Looking back, I think the problem was my obsession with comparing myself to others and striving for more success."

Previously, Tony An had shared on a broadcast that he hesitated to marry due to his father, revealing he has four mothers.

Reporter: Se-yoon Jung, TenAsia yoon@tenasia.co.kr