Nam Woo Hyun of K-pop boy group INFINITE opened up about his battle with a rare type of cancer.
On November 28, Nam Woo Hyun's interview with a news outlet about his new album 'WHITREE' was published; the album is set to be released on the same day at 6 pm (KST).
'WHITREE' has a special meaning to Nam Woo Hyun as it is his first studio album after seven years as a solo artist.
During the interview, however, the singer shared another reason why the album is special: it is his first album as a cancer survivor.
Nam Woo Hyun said he was diagnosed with a rare cancer called a gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST); it is a type of cancer that begins in the digestive system, which affects only about 20 people in every million.
The singer talked about his experience of undergoing surgery in April that required general anesthesia and said, "It was major surgery that lasted about 10 hours. I was hospitalized for a month."
"I could have taken more time to rest before releasing this album since it hasn't been long after the latest INFINITE activities concluded. However, I didn't want to delay this release since it has been quite some time since I last returned as a solo artist.", he said.
In July, INFINITE made their highly anticipated comeback for the first time in five years.
Nam Woo Hyun has now admitted that he was still recovering from surgery while participating in INFINITE activities.
About this, the singer first expressed concerns for his fans, saying, "I hope learning about my illness won't distress my fans."
"I decided to push through the INFINITE comeback because I thought, if I was going to be in pain anyway, I might as well be in pain on stage.", the singer added, expressing a strong desire for the stage.
There is a special meaning behind the title of Nam Woo Hyun's first studio album, 'WHITREE': it is a combination of his own initials (WH), the initial of the group's fans' name, INSPIRIT (I), and his nickname (TREE).
Among the 11 songs packed in the album, Nam Woo Hyun contributed to writing the music and lyrics for five songs, including the title track 'Baby Baby'.
"I told my story through this album. It covers the challenges I've been going through and the self-assuring message I've given myself. I hope many people would listen, enjoy, and find solace from it.", he added.
(Credit= Blade Entertainment, INFINITE Company)