[DiaryPoint=Reporter Park Bo-young] Singer Jang Jae-in said in a YouTube video released on the 6th that she was diagnosed with hemidystonia around age 22. At the time, she said, she was sleeping just two hours a day and attending five or six events.
“I was diagnosed with hemidystonia because of a nonstop schedule and stress,” Jang recalled. She said paralysis affected her left side, making her afraid to play guitar, and that she struggled with comparing herself to other guitarists.
Looking back, she said, “I thought I had been born this way.” Accepting her limitations as her starting point changed her life, she said. She added, “The problem was that my mind was hurting more than my body,” and that recovery took a long time and involved a difficult struggle.
“There hasn’t been a single moment when I’ve given up music,” Jang said, adding that she is happiest when she can bring her ideas to life through music. She also said she plans to continue making music.
Jang first became widely known after placing in the top three on Mnet’s audition show Superstar K 2 in 2010. She released her first full-length album, In Search of Anxiety, in 2020. More recently, she has shared videos about music and everyday life on her YouTube channel, “Singer-Songwriter Jae-in.”
Last month, Jang signed an exclusive contract with Niche Music. The agency said it plans to expand her activities through new music, live shows and festivals. No dates have been announced for her next activities.
Hemidystonia is the diagnosis Jang says she received; her experience does not establish overwork as a general cause of symptoms. Anyone experiencing similar paralysis or abnormal movements should seek medical care rather than assume the cause.