Singer Taejin-ah shed tears after hearing from medical staff that his wife's condition had worsened as she battles dementia.
On the 9th, the TV CHOSUN entertainment show "Lovers of Joseon" released a preview of Taejin-ah and his wife's story for next week. In the video, Taejin-ah visited a dementia specialty hospital with his wife to check her current condition.
Taejin-ah married Lee Ok-hyeong in 1981, and they have two sons. Known as the inspiration for Taejin-ah's hit song "Ok-gyeong," Lee has been battling dementia for about seven years.
Medical staff said, "At present, your wife is in the severe stage of dementia," adding, "It is difficult to have meaningful communication." They then mentioned "reminiscence therapy" as one treatment option and advised that revisiting spaces that can stimulate past memories could be helpful.
Taejin-ah said, "I'm going to go to places she remembered before and film videos," and boarded a plane alone to New York in the United States. The preview shows Taejin-ah visiting and filming places himself, including New York's airport, the APT. where they once lived together, and the streets where they peddled goods to make a living. He retraced memories with his wife, saying, "Honey, this is New York's airport," and "Didn't we do business here?"
Having cared for his wife at her side for a long time, Taejin-ah said, "When I was going through the hardest times in my life, my wife was always by my side," revealing his deep affection. He also said, "If I could bring back her memories, I would do anything," and the preview showed him praying, "Please cure Ok-gyeong's dementia," before breaking down in tears.