Ko Ji-yong Hospitalized Shortly After Divorce: "My Condition Nearly Reached Liver Cancer; I Prepared for Death"

[Financial News] Ko Ji-yong, a former member of the group Sechs Kies, has drawn attention after revealing that he suffered serious health problems shortly after his divorce.
On the 16th, Ko Ji-yong said through his agency that visitation with his son, Seungjae, had not been proceeding smoothly.
Saying, "I will proceed according to the law," Ko Ji-yong filed applications for preliminary injunctions against his former wife, doctor Yang-Im Hur, seeking to prohibit interference with visitation and the posting of photos and videos of the child.
He said Yang-Im Hur was not allowing him to see their child and was using the child to promote her hospital, adding that he could no longer tolerate the situation.
While explaining the background to his legal action, he also disclosed the health problems he experienced shortly after the divorce.
According to Ko Ji-yong, after reaching a divorce settlement on April 24, 2024, he was transferred to a hospital in critical condition in early May of the same year after suffering from cirrhosis, liver fibrosis, and shock. He said he had to prepare himself for the possibility of death.
An associate said Ko Ji-yong's health had been so serious that it had nearly reached the stage immediately preceding liver cancer. He reportedly spent about two years being hospitalized several times and repeatedly found himself in life-threatening situations.
Ko Ji-yong explained the background to his legal action, saying, "While I was trying to recover physically and return to society, I could no longer tolerate the continued refusal to communicate and the lawsuit."
Earlier, in August 2023, Ko Ji-yong appeared on the YouTube channel "Yeogiga Urijip" and shared updates about his life. His noticeably thinner appearance prompted concerns that he might be experiencing health problems.
As reports that his weight had fallen to 63 kilograms fueled speculation about his health, Ko Ji-yong personally addressed the issue a week later. He said, "There is nothing wrong with my health. The child's mother was also very concerned, so I filmed this video to explain the situation."
In a YouTube video released in February 2024, he also discussed the reactions of people around him to his health. Ko Ji-yong said, "People kept contacting me, asking whether I was unwell. Hearing that made me develop an obsession too. I thought, 'I need to eat.'"
Later, in 2025, he revealed on KBS 2TV's "Mr. House Husband Season 2" that he had experienced liver-related health problems. He stated, "My liver levels became so high that I was even hospitalized."
Ko Ji-yong, who had previously dismissed speculation about health problems, provided a detailed account this time of how his condition deteriorated to the point of becoming life-threatening shortly after his divorce.
Meanwhile, Ko Ji-yong married Yang-Im Hur, a doctor who graduated from Ewha Womans University and was known as the "Kim Tae-hee of the medical world," in 2013. They have a son, Seungjae.
The two previously appeared together on programs including KBS 2TV's variety show "The Return of Superman," sharing their family life with the public. In July, Ko Ji-yong belatedly revealed that he and Yang-Im Hur had divorced two years earlier.


[email protected] Han Seung-gon Reporter