Editor's Pick: A Disease Affecting 3 Million People That Can Be Fatal If Ignored

Park Sang-yong, a 67-year-old apartment security guard who smoked a pack of cigarettes a day for over 40 years and was exposed to exhaust fumes while working as a truck driver for a decade, was diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) four years ago.

[Park Sang-yong / COPD Patient: (Around the time of diagnosis) When I walked up hills or carried heavy loads, I would get significantly more short of breath than others.]

Although the lungs are known as an organ that is difficult to recover, he is now able to manage his daily life without much difficulty thanks to early detection and treatment.

[Park Sang-yong / COPD Patient: (Before treatment) I used to gasp for air, but now, I feel almost like a normal person, and I don't really get out of breath...]

It is estimated that there are 3 million COPD patients in South Korea, and if left untreated, it can lead to death due to acute exacerbation.

Statistics show that 50% of patients hospitalized for acute exacerbation pass away within three years, and 75% within seven years.

While the primary symptoms include shortness of breath during physical activity and persistent coughing or phlegm, many people dismiss them as mere signs of aging.

This makes early diagnosis quite difficult.

A pulmonary function test to detect COPD measures the amount of air exhaled after taking a deep breath. I will try it myself.

[(Inhale once more, and blow! Whoosh! Keep blowing. Inhale again.) This is really difficult.]

Because the diagnosis requires a dedicated clinical pathologist and the process of testing and explaining treatment methods is time-consuming, many clinics avoid performing the test altogether.

[Moon Ji-yong / Professor of Pulmonology and Allergy at Konkuk University Medical Center: There are many primary care clinics where pulmonary function tests are not available, so treatment is mainly provided at the hospital level or higher.]

In South Korea, where air pollution levels are relatively high, 13% of patients have never smoked. It is crucial for those who suspect they have symptoms to visit a hospital and undergo a pulmonary function test.

Thought it was just aging... "Half of patients with acute exacerbation die within 3 years" (June 21, 2026, 8 O'Clock News)

Reported by Han Seong-hee | Produced by Kim Da-yeon | Video by Kim Han-gyeol | Video Editing by Jang Hyun-ki | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.