Actress Jang Jin-young has lost her fight with stomach cancer.
Celebrity deaths don’t usually register emotionally with me, but this one does. So beautiful and talented, and to die so young…
Actresss Jang Jin-young Dead at 35
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I agree; “this one does.” She was indeed young, talented, and very beautiful. And hers was a non-suicidal celebrity death. May she rest in peace.
I remember her best from the movie 반칙왕, which seems to be a movie that just about everybody saw eventually. Sorry to hear about this loss.
She was great in the movie “Singles”. I’ll bet the farm though, that it wasn’t stomach cancer. Korea is still one of the leading OECD nations where cervical cancer is among the top causes of death for women. (In Korea, single women routinely are neither required nor asked to get regular pap smears, and most married women don’t either.) Suffice it to say, that HPV is one of the biggest killers of South Korean women today, and unfortunately, most people don’t even know what it is. The shame factor when diagnosed with it or when someone dies from it though is huge, which is why they usually say it was “stomach cancer” or some other bullshit like that. (Typical case for stomach cancer is the workaholic, soju-swilling ajosshi in the 40-70 age range. Young Korean women in their 30s, do not fit this profile. Korean girls do, however, have one of the highest incidence of cervical cancer outside of the Third World.)
I thought the idea of a Thirld World ended with the Backstreet Boys.
I liked Blue Swallow, with the exception of the torture scenes which I thought were a little excessive (but not by Korean standards I suppose).
She’s around my age and I had a 26 year old cousin who recently got hospitalized because he sat around and didn’t do anything and ate whatever he wanted. He’s now been diagnosted as a diabetic… I had another friend who at 33 collasped one day and was sent to the ER. The doctor said he had too much cholesterol… imagine that! Too much cholesterol at age 33! Well, he did eat those Carl’s Jr. Six Dollar burgers every day sometimes augmented by those 99 cent chicken burgers (eaten all in one sitting).
The moral of the story I guess is that you only have one body and you should take as good a care of it as possible.
Btw… it’s not to say that I’m implying that Ms. Jang did anything to deserve her fate… I’m just saying no matter our age, we should all be careful!
There is no age.
I’m sure they pulled a train on her too at one point or another, aye! I wonder how they feel about it now?
Going to miss her beautiful smile. R.I.P., Jang Jin-young!
“…pulled a train on her…”?! WTF! Now why in the world would anyone make a comment like that?
Damn, you are one sick motherf*&%ker!
DLB
@8675209:
While stomach cancer is rare among young women especially, it does occur and often owing to a genetic predisposition. I have read two different stories about young women and stomach cancer. In one story, two sisters had pre-emptive surgeries after genetic testing revealed a high probability of developing the disease, which killed their mother. In another, two sisters were diagnosed. One died and one survived surgery and chemo.
Cervical cancer is one of the top cancers striking women in many countries, including the US, Canada, and Britain. I’ve not seen any statistics demonstrating that Korean women have higher rates than women in other OECD countries.
One of my first exposures to Korean film, what placed me on the path that, ultimately, lead me to this blog and to Korean issues generally, was through Ms. Jang. I first saw her in the movie Sorum, which I thought was an engrossing little arthouse, horror film with a ton of ambience.
She reminds of Korean nunas I’ve somehow known all my life. An essence of being Korean.
R.I.P..
If I ever get diagnosed with cancer, I wouldn’t fight it. I’d spend my last days with hedonistic, spiritual, existential abandon. And just die.
About 18 months ago my usual gut pains sent me to the doctor more than usual. I had been seeing this doc, a graduate of a Top-5 Korean Med School, for about 2 years. As usual he gave me the typical diagnosis of enteritis (ulcers run in my family) gave me the usual meds and sent me on my happy way. But by my sixth visit in almost as many weeks and with blood in my stool, I thought I’d better seek a second opinion.
The second opinion asked me where the pain was and told me enteritis shouldn’t last more than a week. Blood? He immediately referred me for an endoscopy… certainly not gastritis, I was told, and the first doctor was foolish for not immediately sending me to the hospital for a full endoscopy… which revealed (thankfully) I did not have Crohn’s Disease, just colitis. But, I would’ve continued to suffer if left in the hands of that original doctor, who would’ve been happy to keep me for check-ups, issuing meds, and collecting his fees…
I wonder how many Koreans trust their quack doctors and the meds that only treat the symptoms… until it’s too late?
Fixed it for you.
Indeed. That is certainly not something unique to Korean health care.
Don’t be silly. Everyone knows Koreans aren’t people. They’re Koreans.
It’s sad that she’s dead from SC, but this reminds everyone that drinking at early age and eating too many fast food does add to increase in Stomach cancer. So please stop drinking, smoking and easting fastfood/junkfoods.
MrMao, sounds like the white horse dialog.
@8675209
I wouldn’t rule out stomach cancer just because she’s a young woman. I’d say in some way many Koreans actresses have a disposition for stomach cancer. If they are filming something they work to all hours a day, sometimes you hear of actresses passing out from over exertion while working on a project. Getting only a few hours a sleep is probably a real hamper on the immune system. Then they also often attend hwoesik which seems obligatory in the business and some of them practically starve themselves to keep slim, putting stress their stomach. Not necessarily saying that Jang Jin-young fits this profile but this seems to be the trend here. Probably the same for singers also.
All in all its just so sad she died so early. And I just found she got married on paper a few days earlier. Guess she didn’t want to die without fulfilling that part of her life. Things must be real tough on her husband now.
I know it may be in poor taste and all to point this out but perhaps Korea Herald might want to change the title of this article:
“Late actress had secrete wedding before death”
http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/NEWKHSITE/data/html_dir/2009/09/02/200909020093.asp
DLBarch,
I don’t know douche bag, how about for the same reason the Korea Herald pens a story titled…
“Late actress had secrete wedding before death”
The reason is because the industry she worked in is KNOWN for abusing female actresses, get a clue PussyDick!
tbonetylr,
I stand by my original post. Your use of “…pulled a train on her…” (it should actually be “run a train on her”) was tasteless and vulgar, as are you. Dismissed.
Jewook & Robert,
You might be interested to know that the Herald piece is — surprise, surprise — incomplete. Jang met her kyopo husband before she became ill. When she found out about her cancer, she suggested breaking up, but he vowed to stand by her. She received treatment, and thought her cancer was in remission. The couple’s subsequent marriage was legit.
It’s actually a pretty touching story.
DLB
Where does one gyopo find a Korean starlet wife???
Is there a match making service for these ladies out there?
WangKon,
Since when do investment bankers need help with the ladies? Or do you work for AIG FP?
Happy hunting!
DLB
Hahaha… Doesn’t matter. Quality in terms of life partner is thin regardless of where you stand.
Girls to just play around with are plentiful.
Tru dat, bro, tru dat!
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