Boys over the flowers Actor Lee Min Ho has spoken out about the painful year he spent in hospital after a fatal car crash in his 20s forced him to take a break from his career.
On a December 25 episode of the tvN variety show, Take the block quiz Lee, Lee made a guest appearance, recalling the unfortunate incident in 2006 that stopped his momentum as an actor before it could take off.
The actor was traveling with friend and fellow actor Jung Il Woo when a drunk driver hit them, leaving him with serious injuries that required hospitalization for nearly a year.
Lee was left with a fractured femur and torn cartilage, among other injuries, requiring seven months of recovery.
Jung Il Woo also suffered serious injuries and was diagnosed with a brain aneurysm. Both actors spent a long period hospitalized.
“It also made headlines in the local news in Gangwon province. It was a fatal accident. All the passengers in the offending vehicle died. I spent almost a year lying in a hospital bed,” said Min Ho,
“Il Woo was also seriously injured. We were both only 20 years old, a time when you dreamed and wanted to pursue your aspirations as an adult. Suddenly, everything stopped without warning. I went through denial, anger, depression and ultimately acceptance.”
At the time, Lee was wrapping up filming for the SBS drama Secret campus and had just begun to establish its presence in the entertainment industry. The actor expressed resentment over the unexpected incident, which put everything on hold indefinitely.
Lee Min Ho also admitted that he felt mixed emotions following the success of Il Woo, who was released from hospital early and went on to achieve mainstream success with the sitcom. High kick.
“I hated myself for feeling this way. I wanted to cheer him on and support him 100%, but I couldn’t help but feel impatient,” she confessed.
“I also wanted to be recognized and make a name for myself. I wondered if I couldn’t fully celebrate my friend because of those feelings.”
