Comedian Kim Young-chul reveals small brain growth, says it may require surgery

Comedian Kim Young-chul has opened up about a small growth in his brain, revealing the diagnosis ahead of a comprehensive medical checkup while expressing anxiety about the results.

A video titled "The shocking health checkup results that made Kim Young-chul cry" was posted Friday on his YouTube channel "Kim Young-chul Original."

When the production crew asked what worried him most before the checkup, Kim said, "I was told there's a small growth in my brain — a tiny boil-like thing in a blood vessel."

"If it keeps growing, they said they'd have to cut into my brain like slicing a watermelon to remove it," he said, adding, "They told me it wasn't a major problem, but I still want to get my brain checked."

He then said, "I suffered from intestinal obstruction last year, and I also wanted to get a gastroscopy, so I came in for a full checkup."

While filling out a medical questionnaire, Kim also explained why he does not smoke. "I never smoked in the military, but a senior soldier told me to. I said I couldn't, but he kept insisting, so I tried," he said. "I think I might have kept smoking if just one person had said, 'Young-chul, you smoke? That's cool' — but all 10 of them told me to put it out."

When the crew asked whether he drinks every day, Kim said, "I don't drink on Sundays. I get excited thinking about waking up early and chatting away for two hours on the radio." He added that he drinks three to five times a week. "I drink quite a lot," he said.

Kim underwent a series of tests, including blood work, an electrocardiogram, a stress test, an ultrasound, a sleep endoscopy and a brain CT scan.

His doctor said Kim's upper-body muscle mass was slightly lacking but that his leg muscles were in excellent shape. "His vocal cords are clean, and for someone who drinks, he has no serious conditions," the doctor said, adding, "For a man in his early 50s, he is managing his health well — above average."