Actor Jang Geun-suk, who appeared on MBN 'Let's Go GO4', captured the hearts of viewers with his cheerful and candid stories.
In the 11th episode of MBN 'Let's Go GO4', broadcast on the 20th, Asia Prince Jang Geun-suk appeared and revealed for the first time a luxurious single house of about 80 pyeong, as well as shared various stories including the behind-the-scenes of his dream stage, the Tokyo Dome concert, and how his life changed due to his battle with cancer.
MCs Ahn Jung-hwan and Hong Hyun-hee were invited to Jang Geun-suk's home and were surprised by the clean yet cozy single house. Jang Geun-suk, who stated that he handles all the household chores without anyone else's help, enjoyed a meal he prepared himself while talking with them.
"Since my battle with cancer, I check my blood pressure first thing when I get up for management," Jang Geun-suk revealed, discussing how he discovered his thyroid cancer, saying, "During a health check-up, they mentioned that 'something seems off.' So, I had a biopsy, and it turned out to be thyroid cancer."
Jang Geun-suk noted, "There is a fear that comes with the word 'cancer.' Even though thyroid cancer is said to be a 'good' cancer, where is there such a thing as a good cancer in this world?" He added, "I panicked and didn't tell anyone, including my family, for a week. I thought they would suffer because of me. Fortunately, my parents didn't respond with 'What are we going to do?' but instead said, 'Let's set a date quickly,' which allowed me to have surgery sooner than expected."
The MCs asked, "Has your attitude toward life changed since your battle with cancer?" Jang Geun-suk replied, "I have begun to treat myself more precious. I try to avoid things that are bad for my health. Naturally, I stopped smoking." He added, "(The battle with cancer) has made me stronger," and expressed his desire, saying, "I have one ambition. It might sound arrogant, but I plan to earn more money so that I can share as much love as I have received. I also have a dream related to charity, so I am studying that."
Additionally, Jang Geun-suk shared, "I donated about 1.2 billion won to my alma mater. When I felt unwell, I visited the hospital at my school, and they allowed me to undergo surgery under good conditions after looking at the list of donors." He expressed, "In the end, I felt deeply that what I wanted to give ultimately comes back to me in life. I wondered if this was a rule set by heaven, and I felt that the help I give to others eventually returns to me."
Jang Geun-suk also expressed, "I'm not satisfied with the life I've lived so far; I thought I need to work harder to earn more and give back to more people." He acknowledged, "Some may think, 'He still has a lot of ambition, he is just posturing,' but I'm not really afraid of criticism because I will keep the promises I made to myself."
Jang Geun-suk also talked about his entry into Japan. When the MCs asked when he entered the Japanese market, Jang Geun-suk clarified that he held a fan meeting in Japan when he was twenty, revealing, "I liked Japanese music when I was in middle school, so I taught myself Japanese. Later, in my last year of middle school, I went to New Zealand for study abroad, and I exchanged music CDs with Japanese classmates and saw the Tokyo Dome concert of the Japanese singer SMAP. After that, I said, 'I will perform at the Tokyo Dome within ten years,' and I went in seven years."
However, Jang Geun-suk revealed that he has no memories of the Tokyo Dome concert, which was his dream stage, saying, "I had severe depression starting a month before the concert. It was a result of not valuing myself and just running around. I don't remember how the performance went. Later, I thought, 'Was that me?'" Additionally, he recalled, "After the concert, I was bedridden for six months and visited the hospital," which evoked a sense of regret.
Jang Geun-suk spoke about his difficult past with bipolar disorder, stating, "The diagnosis was type 2 bipolar disorder. For six months, I had no will to do anything, and for the next six months, ideas overflowed. Fortunately, I was able to finish my plans successfully," and he expressed gratitude for the ideas given by the manic phase. He also shared, "During my time as a social service worker, I lived a regular life for the first time. After two years, both my body and mind became healthy, and since then, I have been doing well," and he maturedly commented, "I believe that our suffering doesn't start from something monumental but rather from the small things."
[Photo] Capture from 'Let's Go GO' broadcast
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