Kwon Oh-jung Opens Up About Son’s Rare Disease and School Bullying: A Heartbreaking Journey

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[JoyNews24 Reporter Lee Ji-young] Actor Kwon Oh-joong became tearful as he disclosed that his son had been a victim of school bullying.

Kwon appeared on KBS1’s Let’s Live Together with Hwang Shin-hye, which aired on the 29th.

He said his son has no formal diagnosis. It is a rare condition first reported globally in 2014, and he only learned about it in 2018. There is no established treatment, and he said there are currently no researchers developing a therapy. This is the first reported case in Korea, and he added that there are fewer than ten cases worldwide.

He added that a U.S. specialist recently expressed interest in his son’s condition. They held a video consultation, and the specialist said they would explore possible approaches. \”I’m grateful that someone is paying attention to my son,\” he said.

Kwon said his son was a victim of school violence. \”My son loved playing with friends, but he was always alone. At school he would sit by himself on the playground,\” he said. \”I don’t blame the other kids—they’re young and don’t always know how to interact, and children who don’t fit in tend to be ostracized.\”

When his son entered middle school, he refused to attend and said someone at school had hit him. Kwon confronted the student he believed was responsible, but the student denied it. Later, his son arrived at the hospital with a large wound on his neck, and they discovered he had been bullied by five classmates for about a year. He was reportedly beaten in the bathroom and forced to crawl. The ringleader transferred to another school, and four other students were moved to different classes. They managed to finish middle school, and his son went on to attend high school without further incident. \”School violence kills not only the child but the parents as well,\” he said, becoming emotional.

Kwon said he hopes to see his son walk normally and live an ordinary life. \”Even when I tell myself I’ve become stronger, I still find myself in tears,\” he added, expressing his sorrow.