South Korean actress Park So-dam, who gained fame with her role in the Oscar-winning film ‘Parasite’, has been diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer and has undergone surgery for it.
The 30-year-old star’s agency Artist Company released a statement on December 13 and explained that she was diagnosed during a regular health examination.
The agency also said Park would not be participating in promotions for her upcoming film ‘Special Delivery’, out on January 12.
“As the long-awaited ‘Special Delivery’ is soon premiering, actress Park So-dam is very disappointed that she cannot be together with fans who have waited and shown support,” the statement read, according to Korean website Soompi. “Actress Park So-dam will focus on recovery in order to greet everyone in good health in the future.”
According to Mayo Clinic, papillary thyroid cancer is the most common form of thyroid cancer and mostly affects people between the ages of 30 to 50. “Most cases of thyroid cancer can be cured with treatment,” the website says.
Park garnered mainstream fame in 2015 when she starred in films such as ‘The Silenced’, ‘Veteran’ and ‘The Throne’. This led to her being cast in the critically acclaimed thriller ‘The Priests’.
In 2019, Bong Joon-ho’s ‘Parasite’ led to her and the rest of the cast becoming household names internationally. The movie premiered at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival and was the first South Korean film to win the Palme d’Or. The black comedy also made history at the 92nd Academy Awards, winning four awards including Best Picture, making it the first non-English language film to win the accolade. Park’s line from the movie — called the ‘Jessica Jingle’ — also went viral on social media.
