‘1st K-Pilates Contest’ Senior Division Grand Prize
Broadcaster Seo Jeong-hee (62), who revealed her battle with breast cancer, participated in the 1st K-Pilates Contest hosted jointly by Kookmin University and the Korea Lifelong Sports Coaching Association on the 13th, and won the senior division grand prize.
Seo Jeong-hee competed as a senior division contestant at the event held at the Grand Theater of the College of Arts, Kookmin University, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul. The contest was divided into instructor division, senior division for those aged 60 and above, and disabled division, with 65 participants from 50 teams.
Seo Jeong-hee performed as the third contestant in the senior division. She showcased a 3-minute apparatus Pilates routine to the song "One Fine Day in October," which she sang herself. The theme of her performance was "Glad to Be Alive," the same as the title of her essay. Seo Jeong-hee’s daughter Seo Jeong-ju and her boyfriend, architect Kim Tae-hyun, who is six years her junior, also attended the contest to support her.
She said, “I underwent a mastectomy, and Pilates was introduced to me by a friend not just for dieting but to live healthily,” adding, “Although I have only been practicing for about a month, I felt motivated and courageously decided to participate in this contest.”
She continued, “Just like the book title ‘Glad to Be Alive,’ I am now living my second life,” and expressed, “I hope to comfort those who are ill, and I want to participate with my daughter next year.”
Seo Jeong-hee, who won the senior division grand prize, received a gift certificate worth approximately 1 million won and also won the popularity award, enjoying double honors.
Seo Jeong-hee married comedian the late Seo Se-won in 1982 and had one son and one daughter, but they divorced in 2015. She was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer in March 2022, underwent surgery, and is currently receiving chemotherapy. She previously confessed that, encouraged by her daughter, she underwent reconstructive surgery on the site of her mastectomy.
In January, she announced her romantic relationship with architect Kim Tae-hyun, who is six years younger. Through social media, Seo Jeong-hee introduced Kim Tae-hyun, saying, “He was a great support during the difficult times of my cancer battle. We grew closer as we went to the hospital together.”
She recently published her eighth book, titled “Glad to Be Alive.” The essay collection reflects on the meaning of life and existence as she experienced her breast cancer journey.
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