Actor Na Sung-kyun Climbs Mountains for His Wife Battling Blood Cancer

Actor Na Sung-kyun, known for his roles in popular historical dramas like 대장금 (Dae Jang Geum) and 허준 (Hur Jun), recently ascended a snowy mountain in Gangwon-do to gather medicinal mushrooms for his wife, who is currently fighting blood cancer. In an episode of MBN's 특종세상 (Exclusive World) aired on February 6, Na shared his current situation.

Despite being over 80 years old, he bravely navigated the treacherous mountain paths with the aid of a cane, successfully foraging for mushrooms such as 상황버섯 (Reishi) and 말굽버섯 (Maitake). Holding the mushrooms close, he expressed, "These are said to be very beneficial for immunity. There’s someone I desperately want to save, and I want to prepare this for her to consume."

Na explained that he traveled to Gangwon-do not only for a change of scenery but also to find potent herbs to help his ailing wife. He has been cooking rice with the mushroom broth and providing her with foot baths and massages, demonstrating his deep care and dedication.

His wife revealed, "Our son is set to marry in December, but I was diagnosed with blood cancer. It’s a type of blood cancer, they say." Na reflected on the moment they received the diagnosis, stating, "We often thought cancer wouldn’t affect us, but when we heard the news, it felt like the sky was falling. After chemotherapy, I thought she was cured, but the treatment was painful, and they said if it recurred, they wouldn’t treat it again."

His wife shared her struggles with the side effects of treatment, saying, "I couldn’t eat anything and ended up vomiting everything. I thought about just living without treatment until the end." Although she initially refused treatment after her third recurrence a year ago, she has continued with it due to her husband's encouragement, even as her health continues to decline.

Na expressed his constant worry for his wife, saying, "I’m always concerned that she might suddenly get worse. I can’t take her illness upon myself, and it breaks my heart."