Singer Lee Jeong expressed deep gratitude to his wife for helping him detect his kidney cancer early and supporting his activities as Cheonrokdam in 'Mr. Trot 3.'

On the 18th, MBC's entertainment program 'Radio Star' (abbreviated as RAS) featured guests including Kim Tae-kyun, Cheonrokdam (Lee Jeong), Lee Dae-hyung, and Forestella's Ko Woo-rim.

Among them, Lee Jeong revealed that he reached third place in 'Mr. Trot 3' as Cheonrokdam, saying, "When I first decided to go on 'Mr. Trot 3,' I thought about going out not as Lee Jeong but with a new name. I hoped my music would resonate from Cheonji to Baengnokdam. I named it myself. Now, my activity is 100% as Cheonrokdam; I won't perform Lee Jeong's hit 'Dasin' anymore." This caught attention right from the start.

Four years ago, Lee Jeong announced his marriage on 'RAS.' He mentioned, "After getting married, I lived in Jeju Island, but I suffered from kidney cancer and my business failed," revealing a painful past. Fortunately, he opened a new chapter in his life with 'Mr. Trot 3,' stating, "I got married, but we are living as a married couple at the end of the month. After 3 or 4 months, it became unbearable. My wife is working in Jeju Island, but she decided to quit her job and come up to Seoul," he said, laughing.

In response, Kim Gu-ra said, "Your mother-in-law in Jeju Island might feel disappointed," to which Lee Jeong replied, "No, she was happy and shed her first tears. Hearing that she cried tears of joy made me emotional."

Lee Jeong confessed, "In fact, I struggled to sing ballads. But my grandfather sang pansori and my father sang trot, albeit briefly. Now, I feel like I'm in the right clothes. Singing comfortably makes it enjoyable." He showed affection for trot.

He said, "When I participated in the first season of 'Mr. Trot,' I thought, 'If I had known about that program, I would have participated.' However, I became complacent and stopped participating while doing business. The biggest reason for my participation was my wife saying, 'I hope you sing the songs you are good at.'"

He continued, "I initially didn't contact my father," adding, "After he saw my first broadcast, he seemed to like my trot performance. He started sending me song titles and suggesting I try this and that. Thanks to that, it became an opportunity to grow closer to my family."

Above all, Lee Jeong stated, "I am now cured of kidney cancer. Right after getting married, I had a health check-up, and my wife advised me to get an abdominal CT scan this year. I did it without thinking. That was when the kidney cancer was discovered. I was worried about how to talk about it and whether I should quietly undergo surgery. For the first few months, I couldn't speak about it."

He emphasized, "My wife was the one who suffered the most right after she found out. I didn't undergo chemotherapy, as my treatment was completed with surgery. Cases of kidney cancer being detected at an early stage are extremely rare. Fortunately, it was detected early, and I think I am living again."

Lee Jeong shared, "At that time, I thought about how I might not be able to sing anymore, and I wondered if this would really be the end. After going through that, I see everything a bit differently. All aspects of life," he noted, "If I hadn't gotten married, I wouldn't have known about it at all. I discovered it thanks to my wife. Since then, I've been managing it well, and I’m listening to my wife's words carefully," he said with a laugh.

[Photo] OSEN DB, provided by MBC.

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