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Comedian Yang Sang-guk has opened up about his past struggle with panic disorder while sharing his feelings about a recent public controversy over his behavior.
The May 30 episode of MBC variety show "All-Knowing Informant," marking the program's 400th installment, followed Yang through his debut in the N1 class — the top tier of professional racing — at one of the country's largest motorsport competitions. It was his first race after being promoted from the amateur M2 class.
Marking the milestone with friends he has known for 30 years, Yang invited them to watch in person — his first time doing so in a decade of racing. With their support in the stands, he handled a collision calmly and finished second in the final.
After the awards ceremony, Yang invited his friends back to his home and thanked them for the food from their hometown that they had brought.
Yang brought up his recent controversy, saying, "Honestly, lately it's been like that." One friend responded, "Isn't that why we came? I get that you made it big by being bold, but even watching your other stuff, it's a bit much" — adding that he had once sent Yang a text saying things were going a little too far.
Another friend suggested Yang had simply leaned too hard into his on-screen persona. The first friend said, "You think we haven't read the comments? You rose fast, so we worried you could fall just as fast."
One friend also raised concerns about Yang's mental health, recalling that Yang used to wear a mask in public even before COVID-19 — prompting his own family to joke that he had "celebrity disease." The friend then recalled Yang once saying that, like a panic disorder symptom, he felt as though every passerby was cursing him.
The episode revealed, through his friends' recollections, that Yang had quietly suffered from an unexpected condition in the past, offering a glimpse into the difficult years he had endured. His friends told him that they — and their families — were all firmly in his corner and urged him to keep going in Seoul.
"We've known Sang-guk for so long, so we understand," another friend said. "But what worries me isn't other people criticizing him — it's that he might be too hard on himself." He added that if Yang kept up the same behavior, he would likely keep drawing harsh words, and that some reflection was needed.
min3654@heraldcorp.com
