Former Tutu member and broadcaster Hwang Hye-young opened up about her battle with meningioma and expressed her deep gratitude toward her husband, Kim Kyung-rok.
On the May 13 episode of TV Chosun’s ‘Perfect Life’, Hwang Hye-young appeared as a guest to share her health concerns.
Recalling her peak days as the sole female member of the 1990s co-ed group Tutu, she said, “Back then, I had more than 10 schedules a day. The travel time was so intense that I’ve ridden motorcycles and even helicopters. When traffic was too bad on the way home, I’d even take a boat on the Han River.”
Known as the original “military idol” for her immense popularity at military bases, she laughed while recalling, “At the time, Seo Taiji and Boys were the ending act for ‘Stage of Friendship,’ and we performed right before them. After watching our stage, Seo Taiji came down and said, ‘I can’t beat you guys here.'”
Still maintaining her youthful looks in her 50s, Hwang Hye-young confessed, “I was born in 1973, so I’m heading toward my mid-50s. Twenty years ago, while running a shopping mall, I suffered from stress and lack of sleep. Because I lived in a constant state of tension, I was diagnosed with meningioma in 2010.”
“At first, I thought it was an issue with my ear, so I visited a nearby hospital for a CT and MRI, and a tumor was found in my right cerebellum,” Hwang Hye-young explained.
She shared her feelings from that time, saying, “I wondered why this happened to me when I had done nothing but live my life to the fullest. I felt so empty and hollow that I fell into a depression.”
Hwang Hye-young revealed she was diagnosed with meningioma just one month after she started dating her current husband, Kim Kyung-rok. “When I fell into despair and gave up on treatment, my husband scheduled the surgery and actively helped me through the process. I’m still so grateful to him,” she said. She added with regret, “I was indifferent to health management when I was young. I wonder if I collapsed like this because I didn’t manage inflammation well.”
Married to former politician Kim Kyung-rok in 2011 and a mother of two sons, she sighed, “I was very sensitive because I was always tense and busy in my youth. After getting married and raising children, even the way I speak changed. When raising sons, there’s a certain kind of anger that rises from the depths of your stomach.”
She brought laughter to the show by lamenting, “I have two sons at home, but sometimes my husband joins in, making it three. They fight like friends, and then they all tattle on each other to me.”
