Actor Chae Jong-hyeop donated 50 million won for epilepsy patients.
The Korean Epilepsy Association announced on the 7th, "Chae Jong-hyeop delivered the donation to be used for medical expenses support for epilepsy patients in difficult living conditions and for epilepsy awareness improvement projects."
Chae Jong-hyeop stated, "I understand the pain of those who have epilepsy," and added, "I hope my small contribution this year will be a source of strength for epilepsy patients and those who care about them." Chae Jong-hyeop is known to have discovered his epilepsy during high school and has been undergoing a long battle with the condition. He also revealed in an interview with a media outlet that he received military exemption due to his epilepsy.
Kim Heung-dong, Chairman of the Korean Epilepsy Association (Professor of Pediatrics at Gangbuk Samsung Hospital), said, "It is a great strength and encouragement to understand the difficulties faced by epilepsy patients and their families and to extend a helping hand," and emphasized, "It is important for epilepsy patients to take the initiative to overcome the negative perceptions and prejudices that exist in society."
Chae Jong-hyeop gained public attention for his role as the promising pitcher Yoo Min-ho in the 2019 drama <Stove League>, and has been actively participating in various dramas and entertainment programs since then. He is set to appear in the new MBC Friday-Saturday drama <Your Brilliant Season> in 2026.
Epilepsy is a chronic condition caused by abnormal electrical signals in the process of information transmission between brain nerve cells. The most representative symptom is seizures, which usually last about 1-2 minutes, but if a seizure lasts more than 5 minutes, it can lead to an emergency situation and potentially death. Like hypertension or diabetes, it requires continuous management, and it is known that 70-80% of all patients can control their symptoms with medication. It is estimated that there are about 370,000 epilepsy patients in the country.
