Actor Jin Tae-hyun has revealed he received intravenous treatment for acute pharyngitis this week, putting his Gyeongju marathon at risk.
The news broke on October 16 through the actor’s own social media, as reported by Star News. Alongside the caption “To reap the fruits of my efforts, I boarded the train to Gyeongju,” Jin posted a self-taken photo of his arm with an IV needle inserted.
In the post, the actor explained that acute pharyngitis struck on Monday, forcing him through what he called an extremely anxious “forced tapering” period. “From Monday to Friday I went through hellish anxiety,” he wrote. “This morning I felt much lighter, so I boarded the Gyeongju-bound train. I had made up my mind to aim for next year instead, but thankfully 90 percent of the pain disappeared this morning.”
He added that he will withdraw without hesitation if his condition falls below 90 percent of today’s level on race day: “I compete with myself. If I’m faster than my past record, that’s always a success. We’re not professional athletes earning salaries, so let’s always take on challenges that are healthy in body and mind.”
Jin also sent encouragement to fellow runners, writing, “Fighting to all the amateur athletes preparing for autumn.”
Notably, the actor was diagnosed with early-stage thyroid cancer in May last year and declared fully recovered after undergoing surgery the following June.
Whether Jin takes the starting line will be decided on race morning, when he assesses his condition one final time.
