From 'only 6 months' to being cancer-free: Kim Woo Bin's dramatic cancer struggle
K-drama star Kim Woo Bin
South Korean actor Kim Woo Bin recently opened up about the darkest phase of his life as he struggled with cancer and fought his way to life. While promoting his latest Netflix film, Officer Black Belt, Kim Woo Bin said he is now cancer free but there was a time when he was told that he just has 6 months left.
His new Netflix film is an action comedy. For promotions, he joined co-star Kim Sung Kyun for an appearance on an episode of the YouTube channel “Zzanbro Shin Dong Yup” on September 16.
On the show, the Korean star recounted his battle with the life-altering diagnosis of nasopharyngeal cancer in 2017. Following the rare cancer diagnosis, his agency released an official statement, announcing that he’s begun radiation treatment and would be stepping back from his professional commitments to the entertainment industry.
Kim Woo Bin on the dark phase of life
Ten months later Kim revealed details about his treatment. Post diagnosis, he was exempted from mandatory military service. Then just before the pandemic paused the whole word in 2020, he was given the good news in 2019 that he had received a full recovery diagnosis.
Reflecting on his cancer struggle, Kim Woo Bin said that he is “naturally a positive person, someone who always tries to find the silver lining in any situation.” He also pointed out that he felt his whole life “shattered” when he was given the bad news.
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He said, “It was like a scene from a drama when the doctor suddenly said, ‘If it’s short, you only have six months to live.’ I was shocked and scared, and I wished it were just a dream.”
Kim Woo Bin, however, kept his calm and willed himself to maintain a positive mindset and perceived the treatment period as a time for him to rest, regain his strength and come back stronger. “So many people, simply because they recognised my face, offered their support and prayers. I believe that support gave me strength.”
Kim Woo Bin is back in business
After a full recovery, Kim Woo Bin returned to the screen alongside Ryu Jun Yeol and Kim Tae Ri in the 2022 sci-fi film Alienoid. He also returned for the sequel Alienoid: Return to the Future in 2024. In K-dramas, he starred in Our Blues (2022) and Netflix’s Black Knight (2023).
