Comedian Jang Yong (59) confessed his wife's cancer battle and blamed himself for it.
On the 17th, MBN's 'Special World' aired footage of Jang Yong spending time by his wife's side, caring for her.
The couple met at age 18 and married after a 10-year courtship.
Jang Yong appeared catching octopus in the tidal flats of the west coast, saying, "My wife is weak, so I caught octopus to buy chicken and make ginseng chicken soup as a nourishing meal."
He recalled, "I had a health checkup, and one of my wife's indicators was extremely high. At that time, there was no visible pain. But after that, she started bleeding from her rectum. The diagnosis result was uterine cancer."
His wife, Sung-muk, said, "She underwent surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy for several months. One day, all her hair suddenly fell out due to medication side effects, causing peripheral nerve damage that made the ends of her body numb. Her appetite also declined."
Jang Yong said, "It was hardest when she lost all her hair. Watching her put on a wig in front of the mirror, I thought, 'I wish this were a dream,' and 'I wish this weren't real.'"
Spending his days caring for his wife by her side, Jang Yong blamed himself for her illness.
He stated, "It's my fault. She told me not to pursue certain businesses, but I did anyway and failed, causing financial strain and bank debt. Even though collection notices came every month, I didn't nag her. Looking back now, I often think she may have internalized all that stress until it formed a lump that became an illness."
After his wife fell asleep, Jang Yong wrote a poem alone. He explained, "When I'm alone, I can wrap up the day and find it good to write poetry. Having time to talk with myself in quiet moments is truly happy. I wanted to find a way out, so I started scribbling poems."
After his wife was diagnosed with cancer, the couple acquired a house in Ganghwa and began tending a small garden. Jang Yong said, "My wife found joy in growing vegetables there and making kimchi. She feels pleasure seeing cabbage and seedlings grow gradually. I believe this helps her recover from illness. Since she enjoys it, I'm sure it will help."
Meanwhile, Jang Yong is a graduate of Seoul National University's Theater Department and debuted through the 3rd MBC Radio Comedy Contest in 1983.
in ENTERTAINMENT
