Comedian Kim Soo-yong opened up about the terrifying moment he collapsed from acute myocardial infarction, revealing just how close he came to death during his appearance on You Quiz on the Block.
During the December 10 broadcast, Kim Soo-yong shared the full story—from the first signs of chest pain to the moment his heart stopped for 20 minutes.
He recalled waking up that morning with chest tightness that felt like muscle pain. “I thought I slept wrong. It felt like someone was squeezing my chest,” he said, explaining that he initially treated the symptoms with patches instead of seeking medical help.
Even as the pain intensified during his drive to Gapyeong for a YouTube shoot with Kim Sook, he brushed it off. At one point, he pulled over at a rest stop and lay down for 20 minutes. “I even thought the patch smell was making things worse,” he said.
Although a local clinic recommended he go to a major hospital after detecting abnormalities in his ECG, Kim Soo-yong still chose to continue shooting, thinking it was just reflux.
Kim Soo-yong revealed that he greeted actor Im Hyung-joon at the location before collapsing. “I lit a cigarette, but it tasted unbearably bitter. After that, I walked to the grass, greeted Im Hyung-joon… and that’s my last memory.”
Witnesses said he grabbed his chest and collapsed immediately. Fortunately, he fell on grass. Kim Sook’s manager and Im Hyung-joon took turns performing CPR. Yoo Jae-suk added that Im Hyung-joon, who suffers from angina, always carries medication— “and he put his pill in Kim Soo-yong’s mouth.”
Kim Soo-yong continued, “Kim Sook held my tongue so my airway wouldn’t close. The paramedics arrived in 8–9 minutes.” Two ambulances arrived, but one was malfunctioning. Kim Soo-yong joked, “Thankfully, I wasn’t placed in the broken one. That alone feels like divine luck.”
Kim Soo-yong revealed the most shocking detail: “The defibrillator was used seven times, but my heart did not restart for 20 minutes.”
Following emergency protocol, the paramedics had even filed a report indicating a possible death case. They were en route to the morgue in Chuncheon when Kim Soo-yong suddenly regained consciousness — prompting them to divert to a hospital instead.
He described the moment faintly: “It sounded like being underwater… everything muffled. They kept talking to me so I wouldn’t lose consciousness.”
When he came to, he found himself in the ICU. “It was terrifying. People were crying out, some were passing away. I realized how close life and death can be.”
Reflecting on the near-death experience, Kim Soo-yong said: “I think it would’ve been too empty if I had died like that—so suddenly. Anyone can face something like this. I was incredibly lucky. Just waking up again is something to be grateful for.”
He admitted he had long neglected his health—poor eating habits, smoking, and not exercising—but now sees the incident as a wake-up call.
Doctors were stunned by his recovery. “They said surviving 20 minutes of cardiac arrest is already a miracle, but the real miracle is how normal I am,” he shared. He noted that the medical team said many patients experience paralysis or slurred speech after such prolonged arrest.
Kim Soo-yong ended the interview with a message of gratitude, describing even his damaged jacket—cut open during emergency treatment—as a lucky charm he plans to keep.
Sources: 네이트 뉴스
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