South Korean actress Uhm Ji-won is undergoing intensive physical rehabilitation and personal training following a severe ankle fracture that required surgery to insert 18 metal pins, according to her agency and personal YouTube channel updates. The injury, sustained during a February trip to Japan, occurred when her foot became wedged between water channels while slipping on black ice, causing her ankle bones to violently twist as her body rotated.
The Injury and Emergency Surgery
According to Uhm’s accounts shared on her YouTube channel and broadcast appearances, she was unable to immediately undergo surgery in Japan. She endured the fracture for a full day before boarding a flight back to South Korea, where she underwent a two-hour emergency operation. Describing the acute phase of her recovery, Uhm stated that minute vibrations caused intense pain akin to bones cutting through flesh. The surgical intervention left her with 18 metal pins in her ankle, initiating a recovery timeline she estimates will take up to one year to regain full mobility.
Rigorous Rehabilitation for an Upcoming Action Film
Despite experiencing lingering mobility limitations—such as difficulty folding her leg during stretches—Uhm has returned to physical training to prepare for an upcoming action film role, according to her agency. In a video published to her YouTube channel titled “An Actress’s Management Routine Maintained Out of My Own Pocket for Over 10 Years,” Uhm detailed her current daily regimen, which centers on rehabilitation, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, and personal training sessions. Because she spent months avoiding cardio exercises following the February accident, she noted that she accumulated unwanted weight, but clarified that her current training regimen is dictated by role requirements rather than routine weight management.
“I have to shoot an action movie, so I need basic physical strength to support me alongside rehabilitation,” Uhm explained on her channel, noting that she also aims to eventually return to skiing despite the anticipated physical challenges.
Fan Response and Recovery Outlook
Viewers and online commentators responded to her rigorous training updates with messages of support, expressing admiration for her resilience while urging caution during physical therapy. While medical professionals generally advise careful progression following hardware implantation surgeries like the insertion of 18 pins, Uhm continues to balance upper-body workouts, ankle flexibility drills, and leg muscle-strengthening routines as she works toward her one-year recovery milestone.
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