Lee Kyung-kyu Opens Up About His Secret Battle With Diabetes: “Lunch and Dinner Are Painful”

Entertainer Lee Kyung-kyu has opened up about the hardships he faces due to diabetes.

On May 7, a video titled “Half the Nation Has Diabetes? Lee Kyung-kyu, Who Had Surgery for Diabetes Complications, Digs Into the Truth About Blood Sugar” was released on the channel ‘God Kyung-kyu.’ In the video, Lee Kyung-kyu had a candid conversation with a diabetes specialist.

Lee Kyung-kyu noted, “I heard there are so many diabetes patients in Korea these days.” To this, the specialist explained, “You can think of it as over 6 million people in Korea being diabetes patients. There are 16 million people in the pre-diabetic stage. Combined, that’s 22 million people, meaning half the population is struggling with diabetes.”

Lee Kyung-kyu confessed, “My war with diabetes began five years ago when my doctor told me I was in the pre-diabetic stage. There’s no quality of life. There’s nothing I can eat, so lunch and dinner are always a struggle.”

The specialist advised, “Approaching diabetes only through food can be quite difficult. Since there are so many types of food, it’s more important to prioritize avoiding the bad ones.” They added, “A traditional Korean diet is fine. It’s not that rice itself is bad, but since carbohydrates break down into glucose, eating rice raises blood sugar. It’s right to stay away from snacks or foods containing liquid fructose. Rice is a good sugar, so it’s best to eat it in moderation.”

Lee Kyung-kyu previously revealed that his HbA1c level, an indicator reflecting average blood sugar over the past 2 to 3 months, was 6.8%. He shared, “When I visited the hospital six months later, it was 5.8%, which surprised the doctor. At the time, I stopped eating grains and only ate a little brown rice. However, it rose again to 6.2 to 6.3%.” He also mentioned that he always carries brown rice instead of white rice.

Lee Kyung-kyu also confessed, “About 10 years ago, one of my three coronary arteries was blocked, and I had to undergo a procedure.” He recalled the frightening experience, saying, “I heard that blood sugar spikes cause blood clots. A clot blocked the blood vessel, and I had to have it cleared.”

Finally, Lee Kyung-kyu expressed his sincere hope, saying, “I hope we all stay healthy. I hope everyone overcomes diabetes.”