[Sportschosun Reporter Ahn Ji] Actor Im Byung Ki recalled a terrifying accident in which he fractured his skull and remained in a coma for seven days while filming a historical drama, confessing, "I came back from the brink of death."
The December 6 episode of TV CHOSUN's *Perfect Life* featured Im Byung Ki, who has appeared in more than 200 dramas, including *Han Myeong-hoe*, *Jang Nok Soo*, *Tears of the Dragon*, *Taejo Wang Geon*, *Immortal Admiral Yi Sun-sin*, and *Dae Jo-yeong*.
Im Byung Ki holds the record of appearing in historical dramas every year for 13 consecutive years. He said, "I actually suffered a lot while filming historical dramas. I am the actor who was injured the most during historical-drama shoots," before mentioning a horseback-riding accident that occurred while filming *Taejo Wang Geon* in 2002.
"I came back from the brink of death," he said. "I fell off the horse, rolled, and hit my head on a rock, fracturing my skull." He added, "I was in a coma for seven days. The hip joint I injured at the time developed necrosis, so I underwent artificial-joint surgery. I was classified as having a fifth-grade disability."
The accidents did not end there. In 2003, he suffered another serious injury while filming *The King's Woman*. Im Byung Ki said, "At a folk village, the horse slipped on the rain-soaked ground. I rolled to avoid the horse, collided with a tree, and fractured seven ribs," astonishing those around him. After hearing this, Lee Sung-mi could not hide her surprise, saying, "It is truly a miracle that you are alive."
His long-running, irregular filming schedule also affected his health. Im Byung Ki said, "My stomach was badly damaged back then," adding, "I underwent surgery for stomach cancer in 2020. That was the aftermath." He subsequently had a 4-by-4-centimeter section containing the stomach cancer removed.
Looking back on the warning signs before his stomach-cancer diagnosis, Im Byung Ki said, "I had indigestion and heartburn. I brushed it off, thinking, 'It must be because of my age.'" He continued, "I felt pain as if my stomach were being stabbed with an awl, but I thought it was stress from filming." Three years after his stomach-cancer surgery, a follow-up examination found an adenomatous polyp that could develop into cancer. He then endured another difficult surgery.
anjee85@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
