4 K-Celebrities Who Are Often Misunderstood Because Of Their Narcolepsy

Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder in which a person suddenly falls asleep regardless of their will. A handful of Korean celebrities have narcolepsy—and sometimes, they are misunderstood because of it.

Here are four stars who have experienced misread situations because of their narcolepsy.

1. Jo Hyun Ah

On SBS‘s Strong Heart aired on June 27, 2023, singer Jo Hyun Ah, an indie trio Urban Zakapa member, shared that she is narcoleptic.

Singer Jo Hyun Ah | @tenomahj/Instagram

She shared that reporters often misunderstood her because of her tendency to fall asleep; they didn’t know that stress or sudden dopamine or adrenaline rushes cause her to fall asleep. Jo Hyun Ah revealed that she has been narcoleptic since high school.

In high school, I would fall asleep with a spoon in my hands, and during school, I would be asleep from the first class. I was punished for this, and I even fell asleep during my punishment. I played classical piano, but if I didn’t practice, it was obvious, so I slept while playing piano. Once, I rang the bell to get off the bus, but when I woke up, it was the last stop.

— Jo Hyun Ah

Urban Zakapa members Kwon Sun Il, Jo Hyun Ah, and Park Yong In (left to right) | @tenomahj/Instagram

Jo Hyun Ah was once asked a rude question regarding the two male members of Urban Zakapa when she was a rookie. When they asked her, “What do the men in your group even do?” she was triggered by the rudeness of the question and fell asleep. The reporters misunderstood that she did that because she didn’t want to answer the question. Things like this happened often, and her members had to keep making excuses for her.

2. Song Eun Yi

Singer and TV personality Song Eun Yi shared her experience of having narcolepsy on SBS‘s Go Show in 2012. She shared that she once had a traumatic experience of not remembering how she made her way home even though she hadn’t drunk a drop of alcohol.

Song Eun Yi | @saru337/Instagram

Song Eun Yi also shared that she once fell asleep while hosting a radio program when her narcoleptic symptoms kicked in.

When I was doing live radio with Shin Bong Sun, my narcolepsy symptoms kicked in and I fell asleep in the radio booth. The production team passed the mic to Shin Bong Sun and she read all my parts, too. The listeners sent in messages asking if I went somewhere. I just told them honestly that I had narcolepsy, and then we talked about narcolepsy for an hour.

— Song Eun Yi

Song Eun Yi shared her experience of having narcolepsy on SBS’s “Go Show” in 2012 | SBS

Her close friends know about her narcolepsy and are quite used to it happening—even while eating at a restaurant.

Last time, I went to a sashimi restaurant with Kim Sook. We were eating and I suddenly fell asleep. I had no idea because I’m in a state where I can’t remember anything, but Kim Sook showed me the video she took. I was eating sashimi and fell forward; my head was on the wasabi. Kim Sook was supposed to wake me up, but she was filming me laughing.

— Song Eun Yi

3. Dawn

Singer Dawn’s narcolepsy was brought to light when singer HyunA, his partner then, experienced a frustrating-turned-sorry moment with him.

Singers Dawn (left) and HyunA (right) | @hyojong_1994/Instagram

On MBC‘s Radio Star, HyunA shared that she was having a serious talk with Dawn, but he suddenly stopped answering her.

I was having a serious conversation with Dawn, but he suddenly didn’t answer—he was sleeping. He thought it was strange, so he went to the hospital and was diagnosed with narcolepsy. The doctor suggested taking medication, so he is being treated now.

— HyunA

| @hyojong_1994/Instagram

Because Dawn didn’t answer during a meaningful conversation, HyunA was on the verge of tears, but the reason behind the situation made her frustration turn into guilt. HyunA described Dawn as someone who normally has a drowsy look and has trouble opening his eyes widely, so she thought he was not interested in their conversation.

4. Lee Hyun Yi

Model Lee Hyun Yi found out about her narcolepsy while filming for a tvN show called The Beginning of Health: Body Conversation. On the show, she took a genetic test because her grandparents are both tall, and she wondered if her genes were in her favor as a model. She found out through the test that she has a low possibility of obesity and is good at controlling her appetite—the expert said her ideal job was a model.

Model Lee Hyun Yi | @lee.hyunyi/Instagram

However, Lee Hyun Yi also discovered something unexpected: she was diagnosed with narcolepsy. She took a sleep test that timed how long it took for her to fall asleep. If a person falls asleep within eight minutes, they are diagnosed with narcolepsy, and Lee Hyun Yi fell asleep in 3.9 minutes, which is considered very short.

| @lee.hyunyi/Instagram

Lee Hyun Yi once shared that she fell asleep while getting her hair done for a fashion show. Everyone was surprised and asked her, “How could you sleep in that situation?” She shared that her narcolepsy is not apparent to everyone.

Normally when I talk, I seem fine but as soon as my body freezes, I fall asleep immediately.

— Lee Hyun Yi