Boys Over Flowers actor Lee Min Ho opened up about the painful year he spent in the hospital after a fatal car accident in his 20s forced him to take a hiatus from his career.
On a December 25 episode of tvN's variety show, You Quiz on the Block Lee, Lee made a guest appearance, recalling the unfortunate 2006 accident that stopped his acting momentum before it could take off.
The actor had been traveling with friend and fellow actor Jung Il Woo when a drunk driver crashed into them, leaving him with severe injuries that required hospitalization for nearly a year.
Lee was left with a fractured thigh bone and torn cartilage, among other injuries, which required seven months of recovery.
Jung Il Woo also suffered serious injuries and was diagnosed with a brain aneurysm. Both actors spent an extended period hospitalized.
"It even made the local news in Gangwon Province. It was a fatal accident. Everyone in the offending vehicle passed away. I spent almost a year lying in a hospital bed," Min Ho said,
"Il Woo was also seriously injured. We were both just 20 years old, a time when you were dreaming and eager to pursue your aspirations as an adult. Suddenly, everything stopped without warning. I went through denial, anger, depression, and eventually acceptance."
At the time, Lee was wrapping up the filming of the SBS drama Secret Campus and had just begun to establish his presence in the entertainment industry. The actor expressed resentment at the unexpected accident, which put everything on indefinite hold.
Lee Min Ho also admitted to experiencing mixed emotions upon Il Woo's success, who was discharged from the hospital early and went on to gain mainstream success with the sitcom High Kick.
"I hated myself for feeling that way. I wanted to cheer and support him 100%, but I couldn't help feeling impatient," he confessed.
"I also wanted to be recognized and make a name for myself. I wondered if I couldn't fully celebrate my friend because of those feelings."
