Choi Sung Won Reflects on His Long Recovery From Acute Leukemia

Actor Choi Sung Won has spoken candidly about the lasting emotional weight of his battle with acute leukemia, revisiting a period that interrupted his career and reshaped his life. In a preview for an upcoming television appearance, he became visibly emotional while remembering the uncertainty that followed his diagnosis and a later relapse.

The conversation is set to air on the August 7 episode of Happy Together – Glad I’m Not Alone, where Choi will appear alongside longtime friends Park Hae Soo, Lim Cheol Soo and Park Jae Yoon. The preview frames the meeting as a chance for the actor to look back with people who knew him through some of the hardest years of his life.

A Difficult Memory Revisited

Choi was first diagnosed with acute leukemia in 2016, when his professional momentum was growing. He stepped away from activities to focus on treatment, a decision that put his work on hold while he faced an illness that can require intensive and prolonged care. In the preview, he recalls how painful it was to revisit that time even years later.

After completing treatment, Choi returned to acting in 2018. The comeback carried special meaning because it marked a return to a profession and routine that had been abruptly paused. Yet his recovery was not a straight line: the illness relapsed two years later, leading to another demanding period of treatment.

His account underscores why public discussions of recovery can be complicated. The end of a first treatment phase may look like a clear resolution from the outside, but a relapse can bring back fear, physical strain and the practical disruptions that come with medical care. For performers, those pressures may also unfold while public attention remains fixed on new projects and appearances. Speaking about that complexity can also make room for a more realistic understanding of survivorship, which often includes both relief and difficult memories.

Recovery and a Return to Work

Choi ultimately underwent a bone marrow transplant and continued treatment over the following years. He was later declared fully cured after a lengthy recovery process. The milestone does not erase the memories attached to the experience, but it represents the point at which he could move forward with a different sense of stability.

The preview’s emotional tone places the focus less on a dramatic retelling and more on the cost of enduring a serious illness. Surrounded by friends, Choi speaks from the perspective of someone who has returned to work while still carrying the memory of treatment. That balance gives the forthcoming appearance a personal dimension beyond a routine variety-show conversation.

Choi has been recognized by viewers for his work across television and film, and his renewed openness offers a reminder that an entertainer’s public schedule can conceal private challenges. His story also reflects the support networks that can matter during a long recovery: family, friends, colleagues and medical teams often become part of the difficult work of returning to everyday life. It also shows that returning to public work can be a gradual process, shaped by health needs rather than an expectation to resume normal activities immediately.

A Conversation About Resilience

Rather than presenting recovery as a simple triumph, Choi’s remarks acknowledge the distress that can remain after the immediate crisis has passed. His decision to speak about it on television gives audiences a fuller picture of the time away from the screen and the persistence required to resume a career.

As the episode approaches, the focus will be on Choi’s own words and the reunion with friends who shared parts of that journey. It is a sober but hopeful moment: one that recognizes the gravity of his illness while honoring the recovery that enabled him to continue his life and work.