Actress Jung Ae-ri Shares Her Cancer Survival Story on Korean Variety Show

Jung Ae-ri Reveals Complete Recovery from Ovarian Cancer

Actress Jung Ae-ri opened up about her successful battle with ovarian cancer during her recent appearance on a popular Korean variety program. The actress announced that she has been completely cured, having surpassed the critical five-year mark that medical professionals consider as graduation from cancer.

Discovering the Illness Through Emergency Surgery

Jung Ae-ri appeared as a guest on KBS 2TV's entertainment show 'Problematic Men in the Rooftop Room' (Oktabangeui Munje-adeul) alongside Geum Bo-ra on November 6th. During the broadcast, she shared intimate details about her health journey and recovery process.

The actress explained that despite receiving annual health checkups, her condition went undetected initially. She was simultaneously working on a drama, radio show, and musical when she began experiencing symptoms. One morning during this busy period, she suddenly felt severe abdominal pain and coldness during a musical performance.

Jung recalled the critical moment when her body stopped responding normally. With her sister's help, they called emergency services. The initial diagnosis was peritonitis, and she underwent surgery 24 hours after her appendix had ruptured. The surgeon noted the extensive inflammation present during the procedure.

Transitioning to Cancer Treatment

Following the emergency surgery, Jung's doctor recommended she transfer to the oncology department. It was then that she received her stage 1 ovarian cancer diagnosis and subsequently underwent chemotherapy treatment.

During the show, fellow guest Hong Jin-kyung shared her similar experience with ovarian cancer, noting that the disease often presents no symptoms. Jung expressed that watching Hong's journey had given her awareness and encouraged her to maintain healthier habits and remain more vigilant about her health.

Embracing Her Scars as Symbols of Strength

The actress addressed the surgical scars left from her open abdominal surgery, stating she has no hesitation showing them despite being an actress. She views her scars as markers of her journey and believes that if sharing them can provide strength to others facing similar challenges, she is willing to display them openly.

Overcoming Additional Health Challenges

Jung also revealed she survived a serious traffic accident that resulted in eight fractured ribs and a broken collarbone. She credited wearing a thick padded jacket over her seatbelt with saving her life. Remarkably, she returned to work just one week after the accident for a daily drama series, receiving nerve block injections to manage the pain during filming.

'Problematic Men in the Rooftop Room' airs every Thursday at 8:30 PM on KBS 2TV.