“Both my legs were broken”... Kim Hyung-ja on adopting her nephew after a car crash

[Financial News]  Actress Kim Hyung-ja said she adopted as her son the nephew who stayed by her side when she underwent five surgeries after a major car accident. After two divorces, she was living alone and felt grateful for the care she received from her nephew and his wife, so she made her nephew part of her family. She said she now has a grandchild, too.
Kim Hyung-ja appeared on the recently aired MBN program “Overcoming Story: While You Are Ill” and spoke about the hardships she experienced in a car accident and how she came to adopt her nephew.
Kim Hyung-ja said she was in a major car accident in 2011 while traveling to a gathering for her 60th birthday. Recalling the incident, she said, “I’ve had an experience that brought me to the brink between life and death.”
Kim Hyung-ja said she asked a friend to drive because she was considering drinking at the gathering. “I asked a friend to drive because I thought I wouldn’t be able to drive if I drank, but as soon as we entered the parking lot, the car suddenly accelerated and hurtled toward a wall,” she said, describing what happened.
Kim Hyung-ja said she raised her legs to protect her face at the moment of the crash. “I had to make a living, so I instinctively lifted my legs to cover my face. As a result, both my legs were broken,” she said, adding, “I underwent surgery five times.”
She suffered serious injuries to both legs in the accident, and reportedly still has surgical scars.
Kim Hyung-ja said she had difficulty returning to a normal life for a long time after being discharged from the hospital. “Even after I was discharged and returned home, I spent a very long time lying down,” she said. “I think I put an end to all my relationships at the time.”
Kim Hyung-ja, who was divorced and living alone at the time, said the accident helped her realize who genuinely cared about her.
“When you go through hard times, you find out who truly cares about you,” she said. “That was when I realized who I should treat well for the rest of my life.”
The people who cared for Kim Hyung-ja throughout her hospital stay were her nephew and his wife. They regularly visited the hospital to care for her and help with her recovery.
“My nephew and his wife came to my hospital room without fail to care for me. That was when I saw their true character,” Kim Hyung-ja said, expressing her gratitude.
Kim Hyung-ja later adopted as her son the nephew who had cared for her. She said, “My older sister passed away from high blood pressure, and her son, my nephew, became my son.”
Kim Hyung-ja legally adopted her nephew in 2021. She said, “I have a grandchild now, too,” expressing her joy at having a new family.
Kim Hyung-ja had previously shared on another program the story of how she and her nephew became family.
At the time, she said, “I once went to have my fortune told as a joke, and they said I wasn’t destined to have children, but that a son would appear from somewhere later in life. Then, strangely enough, my nephew really did become my son.”
[email protected] Han Seung-gon Reporter