Ji Ye Eun got candid about how her battle with thyroid cancer reshaped the way she looks at life, speaking on the October 16 broadcast of SBS’s entertainment program “My Genie Secretary” (“Whatever You Wish, Genie — My Genie Secretary”).
The episode featured Ji Ye Eun and Ji Suk Jin as guests, with Lee Seo Jin and Kim Kwang Gyu volunteering as their one-day managers and accompanying them to a fan signing event and music festival in Chungju. Riding in the car, the conversation naturally turned to Ji Ye Eun’s upcoming marriage, and Lee Seo Jin offered his advice that the prime years stretch from the mid-30s to 40s.
Ji Ye Eun shared her own philosophy of happiness in response. “Having work makes me happy, but work isn’t everything,” she said, drawing admiration from Ji Suk Jin, who remarked that she had grasped life’s important values earlier than most people her age.
She credited the shift in perspective to her illness. During a long stretch without work, she had thought she should devote herself solely to her career, but everything changed once her health was at stake. “When I was sick, I kept thinking I didn’t know when I would die,” she revealed. Having personally experienced how precious health is, she realized that rather than clinging only to work, it is important to cherish the life and everyday happiness she has now.
Hearing her story, Lee Seo Jin offered warm comfort, saying that people who run into health problems at a young age often become even more careful about managing their health afterward. Ji Suk Jin also recalled how Ji Ye Eun stayed strong and cheerful throughout her treatment, telling him, “It’s fine — they said there are about seven of them,” even while those around her were worried.
Ji Ye Eun briefly halted her activities last year over health concerns and returned to SBS’s “Running Man” after about three weeks. Then in May, she disclosed on Netflix’s “Jae-seok’s B&B Rules!” (also known as “Yoo Jae-suk Camp”) that she had undergone surgery for thyroid cancer, saying she had been told the cancer might spread and that a significant amount had been found in her body. She currently undergoes regular checkups and has expressed gratitude for being able to live healthily now.
The 1994-born actress confirmed her relationship with dancer Bata in April and announced their wedding in September. The couple will marry on December 12 in Seoul, having reportedly first met through a church acquaintance. On the same broadcast, Ji Ye Eun showed off her playful side, deadpanning to Lee Seo Jin’s marriage advice: “You really must not have experienced true love yet, sunbaenim.”
As her wedding approaches, Ji Ye Eun is looking ahead with new priorities — holding onto her work, but no longer letting it be everything.
