South Korean actress Park Tam-hee has spoken publicly about her personal fight with cancer, detailing the ordeal she has endured since being diagnosed eight years ago.
Park was a guest on Tuesday's YouTube channel Renew CBS, where she spoke frankly about the experience that changed her life.
Park remembered the start of her battle. She stated, "It was May 2017. It was a very difficult year. I was diagnosed with cancer during a 1 million won (approximately $730 USD) health checkup."
The actress outlined the shock of hearing the news. "My heart pounded and I felt like I was falling to the ground. I had cancer? I didn't even cry.
I suddenly became a cancer patient. There was no cancer in my family and no family history, so I couldn't believe it."
She spoke about how her outlook on death changed after diagnosis. "It was different when death became a reality at 40. It was a strange feeling I couldn't put into words," Park said.
Physicians first thought that the disease was in its initial stages, but other tests showed a more advanced condition.
"When I had the surgery, I thought it was in the early stages, but they said it had metastasized. They had to remove the metastatic part, which turned into a major surgery," she said.
The outcome required further treatment. Park went on: "The results were unexpected. They said I needed chemotherapy. They said chemotherapy causes hair loss, and it would take a long time for it to grow back.
So I was unable to work for several years. It was so painful. I was someone who loved my work so much. I felt alive when I acted."
Park Tam-hee, who has starred in dramas and movies, has so far kept her battles with health issues away from the public eye.
Her coming out has been met with support messages from fans and fellow artists in the entertainment scene.
By making her experience public, Park is part of a fast-growing community of Korean artists who have taken to their platforms to raise awareness about health issues and being strong.
