On the October 31 broadcast of KBS Joy’s Hit Song of the 20th Century (Episode 287), the show spotlighted singers who have overcome pain and adversity. The episode featured singer Kim Kyung-ho’s 1999 track Pitiless at No. 5, and hosts Kim Hee-chul and Lee Mi-joo discussed the artist’s struggles with avascular necrosis of the femoral head—an extremely painful condition that causes bone death due to a lack of blood supply.
Kim Kyung-ho previously shared in a 2006 broadcast, “I couldn’t walk or stand. The cartilage melted away, and my bones were grinding against each other.” Despite this, he continued to perform while relying on painkillers, even pushing through a scheduled concert in Japan.
Immediately after, he underwent major surgery involving the connection of 21 ligaments. The aftermath of the procedure resulted in the cartilage in his hips and femur sinking, and his height dropped by 2cm.
Reflecting on this, Kim Hee-chul said, “My hips collapsed too, and my height decreased. I used to be around 185cm, but now I’m 176cm. I joked about it before, but it really did happen.”
Kim Hee-chul sustained serious injuries in a 2006 car accident, resulting in a 12-week recovery period. He suffered fractures in his thigh and ankle and underwent major surgery where seven metal rods were implanted. He later received a Grade 4 physical disability designation due to the long-term effects.
Recalling the incident on his YouTube channel, Hee-chul shared, “It was around 10 years ago. I was even exempted from reservist duty. When I went for a medical check, they said I might not be able to walk again and couldn’t take long flights. The process of applying for disability status was deeply confusing.”
He continued, “My face and body became asymmetrical, and eventually even my mental health began to deteriorate. I began to drift away from performing, believing that it was better not to do something at all than to do it poorly. Whenever I saw Super Junior’s stages without me, I felt longing and regret, so I chose to avoid it.”
Despite the struggles, Hee-chul expressed how meaningful Super Junior remains to him, adding: “Performing with Super Junior is like dopamine for me. Even if most of the mental scars have faded, I believe what remains will be healed through the Super Show tour.”
Sources: Daum