"Recording During Colon Cancer Surgery"... The Fighting Spirit of Voice Actress Kang Hee-seon, 'Jjanggu Mom'

Sentenced to 2 Years Terminal in 2021, Improved After Surgery

Voice actress Kang Hee-seon, known for voicing Shin-chan's mother in the animation series "Crayon Shin-chan," has revealed her recent condition after being diagnosed with colon cancer that metastasized to the liver and battling the illness.

She recently appeared on the YouTube channel ‘Liver-Checking Doctor,’ where she wore a patient gown and discussed the progress of her cancer surgery with the channel operator, who is the surgeon.

Photo by the movie 'Crayon Shin-chan the Movie: Invasion!! Alien Dengdengi'

The doctor stated, "Kang Hee-seon was diagnosed with colon cancer that had metastasized to the liver in 2021. She underwent surgery followed by chemotherapy. At that time, she was given a prognosis of two years to live."

Despite undergoing several major surgeries, Kang showed great dedication by participating in recording sessions for the theatrical films. She still continues to record as Shin-chan's mother.

She explained, "There were seventeen metastatic lesions from the colon to the liver. The first hospital only performed a CT scan and did not conduct an MRI, so after surgery, the biopsy results showed 'no cancer.' I thought chemotherapy would only be needed two or three times, but I ended up undergoing chemotherapy forty times."

Kang said, "The previous hospital told me, 'You probably have about two years to live,'" and expressed gratitude to the surgeon who operated on her, saying, "If it weren't for you, Professor, I would have died."

Currently, she has undergone surgery to remove all seventeen confirmed metastatic lesions in the liver, and her CEA levels have returned to normal.

Although Kang is in an improved state one year after surgery, she reported still experiencing side effects from chemotherapy, such as swelling.

Kang Hee-seon debuted in 1979 as a voice actress through TBC's open recruitment. She gained recognition for her role as Catherine Tramell in the "Basic Instinct" film series and won the public's love for her portrayal of Bong Mi-seon, Shin-chan's mother, in the "Crayon Shin-chan" series. In 2018, she received the Prime Minister's Commendation at the Korean Popular Culture and Arts Awards.