On the December 15 broadcast of Channel A’s variety program Table for 4, Go Joon invited his close friends Jo Jae Yoon and Lee Sang Joon for an honest conversation. During the episode, he opened up about a life-altering health crisis he experienced while filming Tazza: The Hidden Card, the project that finally helped him escape nearly 18 years of obscurity.

“It was the role I had dreamed of for so long,” Go Joon recalled. “But after filming about two-thirds of the movie, I suddenly developed partial paralysis.” His confession stunned everyone present.

Explaining the cause, Go Joon said he had become so immersed in the role that his immune system weakened, leading him to develop shingles. “Normally shingles affects the body, but in my case, it spread to my brain. That’s how the paralysis happened,” he explained.

The situation was dire. “If you miss the six-month golden time, the aftereffects can last a lifetime,” he said. “Seven months had already passed, and my body wouldn’t move. I visited seven hospitals six of them told me I would never be able to act again. It felt like I had lost both my dream and my profession once more.”

Despite his condition, Go Joon pushed himself to continue filming. He described how the muscles on the paralyzed side of his face sagged, forcing him to act with a wire structure placed inside his mouth to support his facial shape. “Because it wasn’t perfectly fitted, it pierced my gums and caused bleeding, leading to multiple NGs,” he shared.

The production team stepped in to help. “They showed incredible consideration by changing the storyboard so most of my scenes were shot from one side,” Go Joon said. “That’s why in some scenes, you only see my profile.” Hearing this, fellow guests Park Kyung Lim and Lee Sang Joon expressed disbelief, saying they wanted to rewatch the film with new eyes.

Although he felt guilty for causing trouble on set, Go Joon ultimately completed the movie. His recovery, however, was long and grueling. “For two years and six months, I received 200 acupuncture needles every single day,” he revealed. “And then, like a miracle, I fully recovered.”

Reflecting on how the experience changed him, Go Joon said his personality shifted after his illness. When Park Kyung Lim remarked that his current image is that of a “sexy man” and that she never imagined he had gone through such hardship, he replied, “If I’m not trying to make people laugh, I’m actually very serious and boring. After getting sick, my personality changed. I just want to make people laugh.”

His story has left viewers deeply moved, shedding light on the unseen struggles behind his rise as a respected actor in the Korean entertainment industry.

Sources: Sports Seoul,Channel A