Jo Young-nam Reveals Stroke Diagnosis on 'Hwagaejang Talk'

On January 1, 2025, Jo Young-nam shared a personal revelation on his YouTube channel 'Hwagaejang Talk,' disclosing that he has been diagnosed with a cerebral infarction (stroke). During the episode titled 'Who is the Genius Recognized by Jo Young-nam, Schopenhauer's Apprentice? Baik Nam-jun, Kim Min-ki / Why Jo Young-nam Feels Sorry for Kim Min-ki? / Jo Young-nam Can't Drink Because Whiskey Tastes Bitter?!', he reminisced about his late friend Kim Min-ki while reading a book by Schopenhauer with announcer Son Jung-eun.

Jo expressed how Kim Min-ki inspired him to create a piece featuring the South Korean flag, reflecting on their friendship and the drinking habits they shared. He lamented, "He drank so much. I never told him to stop drinking, but after he passed, I thought I should have bought him more drinks. I feel like I contributed to his early death."

Jo also recounted his own struggles with alcohol, stating, "One day, I picked up my guitar, but my fingers wouldn’t move properly. I thought I should try the piano, but that didn’t work either. People didn’t realize something was wrong because I had always been like that. A few days later, friends visited and one of them, who was an emergency medicine professor at Korea University, insisted I go to the hospital."

After visiting the hospital, Jo was diagnosed with a stroke and immediately began medication. He reflected, "I almost became paralyzed like my father. The medication made whiskey taste bad. Later, I realized that as my blood returned to normal, I started to find whiskey bitter. Since then, I haven’t touched alcohol, and I still don’t."