Singer An Chi-hwan appears on MBN's "Day and Night with Kim Ju-ha." [MBN]
Singer An Chi-hwan appears on MBN's "Day and Night with Kim Ju-ha." [MBN]

Singer An Chi-hwan, 60, has opened up about how his battle with rectal cancer reshaped his outlook on life.

Marking the 40th anniversary of his debut, An will appear on MBN's "Day and Night with Kim Ju-ha," airing Saturday.

In the episode, he revisits his stage 3 rectal cancer diagnosis and the grueling treatment that followed. Diagnosed in 2014, he lost more than 15 kilograms during the ordeal before surgery and other treatments ultimately brought him to remission.

"My body is in the best shape of my entire life," An said, adding that "living healthily is the least I owe to the people who cheered me on."

He said the illness prompted a shift in how he approaches life. "I thought I needed to be more generous, more open," he said.

An also addressed criticism that his music had changed so drastically that some called him a "traitor." Long regarded as a leading "minjung," or people's, singer through songs such as "Sola Sola Pureureun Sola" and "Iron Worker," he drew both praise and backlash in the mid-1990s when he pivoted to more mainstream fare, including "If I Were" (1995) and "People Are More Beautiful Than Flowers" (1997).

An pushed back against the label, arguing that he had broadened his range rather than abandoned his convictions. "'If I Were' and 'People Are More Beautiful Than Flowers' are genuinely beautiful, wonderful songs — what's wrong with singing them?" he said. "The world changes, so songs can't keep saying the same thing. I always have to think about what kind of songs to sing in a changing world."

An also shared memories of the late singer Kim Kwang-seok, a fellow minjung artist who he said steered him toward a life in music. "We spent a lot of time together before he became famous," An recalled. He revealed that he had been scheduled to meet Kim on the day Kim died, saying, "I feel deeply sorry and also a little guilty."


paq@heraldcorp.com