'Parasite' actress Park So-dam returns to showbiz after 1 year battling thyroid cancer

South Korean actress Park So-dam was diagnosed with thyroid cancer last December. Photos: Handout

South Korean actress Park So-dam – best known for her role in the Oscar-winning film Parasite – recently spoke about her return to showbiz after a year of battling thyroid cancer.

At a press conference on Monday (Dec 19), the 31-year-old star shared that she was nervous yet happy to return to her fans through her upcoming film, Phantom.

“This year is very different from the last. Last December, I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. I lost my voice and spent most of my time lying in bed after the surgery.

“I’m so nervous that my hands are getting sweaty but I'm happy to see other casts and the director again. It feels like a new start,” Park said as translated by Koreaboo, an online Korean entertainment news portal.

The actress revealed that she was initially concerned about starring in Phantom as she was still recuperating from her surgery. However, she changed her mind after receiving encouragement from the film’s director, Lee Hae-young.

“I was really hesitant at first, but the director held my hand then and gave me the courage to accept this project.

“I met many great people on set. Even till today, I still thank the director for giving me this opportunity,” Park explained.

The Record Of Youth star added that she felt bad for worrying fans about her condition previously and made a promise to take good care of her health in the future.

“I always tell my fans to be physically and emotionally healthy, yet I couldn’t keep that promise. And for that, I am so sorry.

“I will keep my promise now, so please be healthy, both in body and spirit,” she said.

Park So-dam made her first public appearance since her surgery at the Baeksang Awards in May.

Park shocked fans last December after revealing that she underwent surgery to treat her papillary thyroid cancer.

She was unable to participate in promotional activities for her movie, Special Delivery, earlier in January as she was still recovering.

Park made her first public appearance since the surgery as a presenter at the Baeksang Awards in May.

She will be joining promotional activities for Phantom which will be released on Jan 18, in South Korea. The film is set in 1993 and tells the story of five people who are held in a hotel under suspicion of being spies for the Korean government.

The film features a star-studded cast including veteran actor Sol Kyung-gu, Squid Game’s Park Hae-soo and former Miss Korea Lee Hanee.