The voice of 'Mrs. Pongsun', voiced by Ko Hee-sun, has been beloved for 25 years, and she has ultimately decided to step down.
On the 1st, Tooniverse officially announced via its social media that, due to Ko Hee-sun's personal circumstances, the voice of Mrs. Pongsun will now be done by So-yeon, and the role of Mang-koo will be taken over by Jeong Yu-jeong.
Ko Hee-sun has voiced the roles of Mrs. Pongsun and Mang-koo in 'Crayon Shin-chan' since 1999. However, rumors of her departure arose when her name was omitted from the cast list for 'Crayon Shin-chan 25', which was announced on the 25th of last month. The announcement from Tooniverse resolved the fans' curiosity, but the disappointment still lingers.
It seems that health issues were behind Ko Hee-sun's departure. Last year, he appeared on the tvN entertainment show 'You Quiz on the Block' and revealed his battle with cancer. At that time, he stated, "During a health check-up, it was found that there was a problem in my colon, which metastasized to the liver, and 17 cancers were discovered. I underwent chemotherapy 47 times."
He continued, "When I receive chemotherapy, I cannot use my voice that week. I could only record the following week." He added, "After the last surgery, I said I could no longer voice Mrs. Pongsun. The producer delayed the schedule, so I recorded two months later."
It would have been a difficult choice without a sense of responsibility and love for the work as a voice actor. Ko Hee-sun noted, "Mrs. Pongsun has been the support of my life. I wonder what I could have held onto if this role was not there during my illness." He also mentioned, "I was told during my recent check-up that everything is clean. I am continuing to be monitored."
However, he has temporarily set aside the memories made with Mrs. Pongsun over the past 25 years. Fans are eagerly awaiting to hear news of Ko Hee-sun's full recovery.
[Photo] You Quiz
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