At the retirement ceremony stage, everyone's attention was not on the center of the ground, but on one woman. It was Park Joo-ho's wife, Anna. That day, she was battling cancer.
On the 24th, SBS's 'Shoe Off and Single Man' aired, featuring Park Joo-ho, who shared for the first time the reason his wife bowed deeply during his retirement ceremony last year.
"I wanted to greet in a Korean way behind the camera," Anna's action was not just a simple gesture but a culmination of emotions.
Park Joo-ho said, "At that time, my wife had just finished her chemotherapy. I thought if I told her first, she would only worry, so I decided to tell her only after everything was over." He continued, "My wife said, 'You do your job. Don't retire because of me,' and it was all thanks to Anna's support that I postponed my retirement and participated in the games."
He recalled a touching moment, saying, "During the retirement ceremony, the Ulsan fans came wearing uniforms. Even though they were the opposing team, they came to give their last support." He later realized that the applause from the audience was directed not at him, but at Anna, who had bowed deeply.
“What if my wife had asked me to stay by her side at that time? Of course, I would have quit.” This one statement from Park Joo-ho was a deeper sincerity than the deep bow that day. Now, Anna says, "I have gotten much better," and they have returned to their daily life walking together again.
[Kim Seung-hye, MK Sports Reporter]
