Actor Kim Jeong-nan reveals thyroid cancer surgery: 'Caught it early, only needed the operation'

Actor Kim Jeong-nan has revealed that she underwent surgery for thyroid cancer.

According to Star Today, Kim appeared as a guest on episode 983 of MBC's "Radio Star," which aired Wednesday, alongside Park Mi-seon, Kim Sae-rom and Kim Su-mi.

During the episode, Kim brought up Park Mi-seon's battle with breast cancer, saying, "Even though unni was sick and had no energy from chemotherapy, I never once saw her frown." She added, "I was thinking I should live like that too — and then, just as she got sick, I got sick as well."

"Unni had trouble with her chest, and I had trouble with my thyroid. I had surgery and had everything removed," Kim said. "Nobody knew. After the surgery I filmed YouTube videos and went straight into a drama series. It was caught early, so I didn't need chemotherapy — just the surgery."

Kim went on to say that last year had brought a string of hardships. "My father passed away in the summer, and three of my cats died one after another. Going through all that loss wore me down. I suddenly collapsed at home," she said.

Park Mi-seon, who had been listening, surprised everyone by adding details: "She collapsed and cut her chin on the way down. She really could have died."

Kim reflected on the difficult period, saying, "There are years when sad things hit you like a tsunami. When my father passed, unni was a great source of strength for me." She also opened up about a moment of unexpected comfort. "She kept telling me not to go to the hospital alone, and I almost cried when she said that. I was always used to doing things by myself, so having her come with me to the hospital felt so warm," Kim said.