Noh Hong Chul, 48, admits to presbyopia: 'I can't see when my phone is too close'

Entertainer Noh Hong Chul has revealed that he has begun to experience presbyopia (age-related farsightedness) as he enters his 48th year. While he has always appeared to defy the passage of time with his signature high energy and free-spirited image, he showed himself accepting natural physical changes after experiencing blurred vision when looking at his phone screen at close range.

On the 3rd, a video titled 'The Unexpected Change That Came to Lucky Guy Noh Hong Chul' was released on Noh's YouTube channel. In the video, while introducing AI smart glasses, Noh revealed that the real reason he visited an optical shop was not for the high-tech device, but because of changes in his vision. He jokingly explained his situation, saying, "I've aged. Presbyopia has arrived."

Noh felt particular discomfort when looking at things close up. He noted that when someone showed him a smartphone in the past, the screen became clearer as it moved closer, but now, if it gets closer than a certain distance, the screen actually becomes blurred. He confessed that he felt the change more distinctly recently, saying, "When I woke up today and looked at my phone, it looked blurry."

Ultimately, Noh visited an optical shop for a precise vision test. After the exam, he wore lenses designed to correct focus for close distances and expressed amazement at his improved vision, saying, "I can see so much better," and "How have I been living all this time?" He continued with admiration, saying, "It's a whole new world. It feels like I've replaced my eyeballs," while also revealing a bittersweet sentiment by adding, "That time has finally come for me too," drawing laughter from the situation.

Presbyopia is not a specific disease, but a natural change where the elasticity of the lens inside the eye decreases with age, reducing the ability to focus on nearby objects. It generally appears starting in the mid-40s, and the optical shop Noh visited explained that presbyopia typically begins around age 43 on average. In the case of 48-year-old Noh, he is actually experiencing the symptoms relatively late.

Previously, in August, Noh had also revealed via his SNS that he visited an optical shop to get multifocal lenses. At the time, he thought he was aging relatively slowly since he didn't have much gray hair or stress, but he cheerfully accepted that vision changes had eventually come to him. This video serves as a more detailed explanation of those changes.

The reason the term 'presbyopia' feels even more foreign to Noh is related to the public image he has maintained for a long time. Starting with MBC's 'Come to Play' in 2004, he built a unique character through major variety shows such as 'Infinite Challenge' and 'Home Alone,' characterized by his signature exaggerated reactions, quick wit, and unpredictable behavior. His lifestyle of enjoying travel and adventure also made him perceived as a younger and more dynamic figure than his actual age.

Even recently, his lifestyle has not changed much. When he lost his phone during an overseas shoot last May, rather than taking the loss of contact seriously, he expressed it by saying, "I guess I was having too much fun," showing him enjoying his time at an amusement park. His attitude of actively embracing the latest technology, travel, and new experiences continues in this disclosure of his presbyopia.

Ultimately, the core of this episode is not the fact that Noh has aged, but rather how he accepts the changes of time that come to everyone in his own way. Rather than flaunting youth, his decision to acknowledge that "that time has come for me too" and choose the necessary correction fits well with his 'Lucky Guy' persona.

Time does not leave its traces only through wrinkles on the face or gray hair. Sometimes, it reveals itself through very subtle sensory changes, such as the text on a phone you look at every day suddenly becoming blurry. While Noh resolved that change with a pair of glasses, he did not simply laugh off the fact that he, too, is no exception to the laws of time.