Comedian Jung Hyung-don Reveals He Still Takes Medication for Anxiety Disorder After 11 Years

Korean entertainer Jung Hyung-don has personally revealed that he is still undergoing treatment for anxiety disorder. Jung, who has dominated the variety show scene with his unrestrained wit and sharp tongue, looked back on the time he had to halt his broadcasting activities during the peak of his career due to anxiety, candidly stating, "I am still taking medication now."

During his appearance on the YouTube channel 'Starting Today with Hwang Je-seong' on the 11th, Jung shared updates regarding his current life and broadcasting activities while conversing with comedian Hwang Je-seong. While maintaining his characteristic playful humor and tendency to tease his interlocutor, the atmosphere shifted when the conversation turned to programs he had previously appeared in, prompting him to mention his anxiety disorder.

When Hwang Je-seong asked about his recent status, Jung replied that he is doing well, but jokingly added, "I wonder if I've reached a level where I have to show up whenever you call." He even used his current situation of appearing as a junior to Hwang Je-seong as comedic material, jokingly saying, "I couldn't even tell my kids I was going to work. I just told them I was going out to get some fresh air."

In response to Hwang Je-seong's rebuttal that Jung often hangs up while playing games, Jung retorted, "Since I don't have much work, I play games like a professional athlete." He humorously expressed his recent lack of broadcasting activities by boasting that he plays 'Battleground' and 'Overwatch' at a professional level.

However, the lighthearted conversation took a heavier tone when the topic of the JTBC variety show 'Please Take Care of My Refrigerator' was raised. When Hwang Je-seong asked about the program's current status, Jung responded by asking, "Are you asking if I got fired?" before noting, "That's a heartbreaking story, yet you ask so brightly," evoking his past struggles.

Jung remarked, "Didn't I quit broadcasting during the height of my popularity due to anxiety disorder?" He then confirmed that he is still taking medication, revealing that he continues to undergo treatment for anxiety disorder to this day.

This statement is significant because Jung Hyung-don's anxiety disorder was not merely a temporary bout of poor health, but a major variable that forced him to change his career direction multiple times. In November 2015, as his anxiety symptoms worsened, he completely stepped away from the programs he was appearing in. His agency explained at the time that his anxiety disorder, which he had suffered from for a long time, had recently intensified.

At that time, Jung was one of the most active figures in the entertainment industry, serving as a core member of the MBC variety show 'Infinite Challenge' and a host for the JTBC show 'Please Take Care of My Refrigerator.' Specifically, as a pillar of 'Infinite Challenge' alongside Yoo Jae-suk, Park Myung-soo, Jung Jun-ha, Haha, and Kwanghee, his departure was treated as a major event in the Korean variety scene, going beyond a personal hiatus. The 'Infinite Challenge' production team officially announced his temporary departure due to his health issues.

His departure from broadcasting also starkly highlighted the gap between his public image as a 'funny person' and his actual life. While Jung was known on screen for using aggressive jokes and relentlessly picking at his opponents' weaknesses, he was internally fighting a battle with anxiety.

After a hiatus of approximately 10 months, Jung returned to broadcasting in September 2016 through the show 'Weekly Idol.' Although he stood before the microphone again after treatment and rest, his anxiety disorder had not become a thing of the past.

In November 2020, his anxiety symptoms worsened again, leading to another complete halt of his broadcasting activities. His agency stated that while Jung had a strong desire to continue working, they decided on a hiatus after sufficient consultation with him, prioritizing his health. This demonstrates that anxiety disorder was a recurring, long-term issue he had to manage throughout his career.

About a month later, in December 2020, Jung announced his return to broadcasting. His agency explained that he had focused on treatment while spending time with his family, and that his health had improved through consistent treatment. The important aspect was not just the return itself, but the method of "returning to broadcasting while continuing treatment."

Jung has also spoken in the past about the experiences and tendencies that caused him to feel anxiety. On the tvN show 'Secret Garden' in 2018, he described himself as having a "glass-like personality" and confessed to fearing strangers following a specific incident. He also mentioned that an experience of turbulence during a flight led to excessive worries about death. While it is difficult to pinpoint a single cause for his anxiety, these accounts show that he has experienced these symptoms for a long time.

What is particularly striking about this recent confession is that Jung did not describe his condition in an overly tragic manner. When Hwang Je-seong offered comfort, suggesting it was fortunate that there are treatments available, Jung responded with another joke to lighten the mood. He spoke of anxiety disorder not as a stigma to be erased from his life, but as a reality to be managed and lived with.

For Jung, variety shows have long been both his livelihood and the space where he proves his existence. After gaining fame through 'Infinite Challenge,' he built a unique character through various programs like 'Please Take Care of My Refrigerator' and 'Weekly Idol.' His signature comedic style, which fluctuates between aggressive teasing and self-deprecation, became his representative way of making people laugh.

However, this statement serves as a reminder that another layer of life exists behind that laughter. The health issues of a broadcaster are often consumed only through the results of "stepping down" or "returning," but for the individual, the period of hiatus involves continuous treatment, self-management, and balancing family life and daily routines.

In particular, mental health issues are difficult to explain through a simple dichotomy of recovery versus relapse. Jung went through a hiatus in 2015 and another in 2020, yet he returned to broadcasting and, as he stated, continues his medication treatment. This shows that a return to broadcasting does not mean the complete disappearance of symptoms.

The way Jung brought up his anxiety disorder this time is quite different from the past. While anxiety was once the decisive reason that halted his activities, it has now become a subject he explains relatively calmly through jokes and casual conversation.

Ultimately, Jung's confession is less a success story of "overcoming anxiety" and more an ongoing record of a broadcaster continuing his daily life while carrying the symptoms. The fact that a person whose profession is laughter can speak about his anxiety without completely hiding it shows another change that has occurred between his departure from the industry 11 years ago and the present day.