The turbulent life story of The Cross vocalist Kim Hyeok-geon has been revealed.
A video titled, “From a promising genius vocalist to becoming vegetative, Kim Hyeok-geon — what happened that day?” was posted Sunday on the YouTube channel “Special Report World - The Person From Back Then.”
Kim, who was diagnosed with full-body paralysis after an unexpected traffic accident in 2012, shared an update on his life, saying he now relies on an AI system for assistance. He said he teaches social welfare courses at a university and works as a lecturer.
Kim said he was preparing a comeback album after completing military service when he was in a traffic accident while traveling by motorcycle after practice. The crash damaged his cervical spine and left him paralyzed from the shoulders down.
“Nothing moved, so I thought I’d become a vegetative person,” Kim said. “I was conscious, but I thought I’d have to live with my eyes open and unfocused, and I kept thinking, ‘Why did I wake up?’ I cried inside endlessly.”
Kim said he hated the term “quadriplegia.” “I kept rejecting (my condition). I couldn’t accept it, and I called each newspaper and had all the articles deleted,” he said. “I tried everything I could. I even tried stem cell treatment six times. After trying everything, I came to accept it.”
Kim said his father, who was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer, devised a machine to help his son sing again by pressing the abdomen to support diaphragmatic breathing. The device was built with help from a university research team, and Kim said he was able to sing again.
He said the strong pressure from the machine also caused pain, including broken ribs and blood appearing in his urinary catheter. “I’m a rocker, so if I don’t sing, I don’t know what kind of person I am,” Kim said, describing his commitment to music.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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