Panic disorder, breathing problems: Action star Ma Dong-seok reveals he didn't do in-person interviews due to serious injuries

Getting injured on set can have long-lasting consequences for actors, as Ma Dong-seok can testify.

The Korean-American actor, also known as Don Lee, attended a press conference for his upcoming movie The Roundup: No Way Out yesterday (May 24), which reportedly marked his first in-person interview in four years.

He confessed to South Korean media that it was because he had "a lot of bad luck with injuries".

"I got into an accident while working as an actor in South Korea," he explained. "While filming overseas, a building collapsed and I fell six metres down, breaking two vertebrae, my breastbone, an ankle, and half of my Achilles tendon."

Admitting that the situation could have had far worse consequences, the 52-year-old gave props to his "strong bones" for surviving the accident.

While Dong-seok did not specify which drama or movie he was shooting when he was injured, it was previously reported that he suffered an accident on the set of the 2014 K-drama Bad Guys.

The Roundup: No Way Out is the third movie in the film series which sees Detective Ma Seok-do (Dong-seok) teaming up with the Metropolitan Investigation team led by Jang Tae-soo (Lee Beom-soo).

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Their goal is to take down Joo Seong-cheol (Lee Joon-hyuk), the son of a rich businessman who has formed an alliance with Japanese gang members to commit heinous crimes throughout South Korea.

Dong-seok also told South Korean media that he had been unable to get proper rehabilitation for his injuries over the past decade due to his busy schedule, and thus continues to suffer the lasting aftereffects from his accident.

"I also have panic disorder, so it is not easy to fly," he added. "In my case, it isn't panic disorder caused by depression, but the aftereffects of autonomic nerve problems caused by a broken spine, so I couldn't even breathe [properly] until recently."

He explained that his symptoms come up sometimes while he's filming and he has to stop, another reason why he hasn't done any in-person interviews in four years.

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When asked why he didn't disclose his ailments earlier, Dong-seok quipped: "Wouldn't it be strange that as soon as I said 'Hello', I'd say, 'I have no cartilage, no Achilles tendon, and I have panic disorder due to the aftereffects of frequent injuries'?"

Despite his injuries, Dong-seok added to South Korean media that it has always been his dream to be an action actor, having learnt boxing since he was a child after watching the movie Rocky.

He explained: "I started boxing in middle school and trained athletes in middle and high school. At that time, I worked as a motorcycle delivery person as a part-time job, but I had an accident one winter and broke my left shoulder and had to undergo two surgeries."

Due to those injuries, Dong-seok added that he has trouble throwing balls or moving his arm backwards. Despite this, he can't let go of action roles.

"People are having fun while watching my movies, so I guess I'm glad that's the case," he laughed.

The Roundup: No Way Out will open in Singapore cinemas on June 22.

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drimac@asiaone.com