Actress Park So Dam has opened up about the most difficult period in her career after she was diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer at the age of 31.
Park So Dam had built a successful career through projects including The Priests, Parasite, Record of Youth and Death’s Game. However, his activities suddenly stopped after receiving the cancer diagnosis in December 2021 and he underwent emergency surgery.
The actress revealed that the disease has changed her personality and daily life. Although she had always enjoyed meeting people, she withdrew into herself during treatment. “I’m not normally like that, but I didn’t even want to meet people,” she recalled.
The scariest complication occurred after surgery, when Park So Dam struggled to use her voice properly for about six months. Since an actor depends heavily on speech to convey dialogue and emotion, the experience made her question whether she could continue her career. “I wondered if I would be able to continue acting,” she shared.
After gradually recovering, Park So Dam decided to test herself by doing something she had never attempted before. She traveled alone through Europe for 34 days, rented a car and visited Iceland, where she saw the Northern Lights. The trip helped her reflect on her life and regain emotional strength. “Would I have accepted a challenge like this if I had never gotten sick?” he reportedly thought as he watched the aurora.
Park So Dam later returned through the Phantom film and the Death’s Game series. He has also signed with a new agency and is preparing for the release of his next film The Journey to Gyeongju. Fans responded with messages of support, expressing relief that her voice was back and praising her courage in overcoming the disease.
Sources: Daum | New saying
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