Korean Baseball Player Goes To The Hospital — But Netizens Can’t Help But Laugh

It was confusing yet understandable at the same time.

Im Chan Kyu, a professional baseball player representing the Korean team LG Twins, revealed he was getting treatment at the hospital, surprising fans—and making them laugh.

Im Chan Kyu | @channnnnnnnnnnnnnm/Instagram

On December 14, Im Chan Kyu posted an update on his Instagram story with a picture of him at the hospital.

The caption read:

The first baseball player to get vocal nodules… I will undergo two weeks of vocal rest and treatment.

— Im Chan Kyu

| @channnnnnnnnnnnnnm/Instagram

While fans and netizens expressed genuine concern for Im Chan Kyu’s health, they couldn’t help but laugh at the unexpected nature of a baseball player getting vocal nodules.

Vocal nodules are little nodules that develop in people’s vocal cords if they use their voices too much over a long period of time. Because it causes swelling in the vocal folds, having vocal nodules can make one’s voice sound hoarse, raspy, or breathy.

A diagram shows where vocal nodules develop | National Library of Medicine

It is often called “singer’s nodules” because many singers develop them using the wrong singing technique. However, it can also develop in teachers or other people whose jobs require them to speak often and raise their voices.

In response to Im Chan Kyu’s post, Korean netizens shared their opinions about a baseball player getting singer’s nodule, adding a touch of humor to the situation. The Korean word for “vocal nodules” was trending on Twitter.

How did a pitcher develop vocal nodules? Why, Chan Kyu, please.

— @lvnglmscbb

Vocal nodules? ….But you’re a baseball player…”

— @moveonV4

Wait, I’m so confused. What do you have to do to get vocal nodules during offseason? And on top of that, he’s a pitcher!

— @palzza_twins

A video of Austin James Dean, an American professional baseball left fielder for the LG Twins, also circulated online communities as netizens compared Austin Dean’s voice to Im Chan Kyu’s.

Even Austin Dean was completely fine after this, so why did Im Chan Kyu get vocal nodules? Ha ㅜㅜㅜ

— @chirichill

On the online community theqoo, fans who really knew Im Chan Kyu and his “loud” personality seemed to understand why he had gotten vocal nodules.

| theqoo
  • “Wait, but really! How did he get it? Because he yells a lot?”
  • “I was thinking, ‘Huh, who can it be?’ but somehow I understand because it’s Chan Kyu.”
  • “LOL, wait why?”
  • “Oh, Chan Kyu……..╮(╯︵╰)╭ ╮(╯︵╰)╭ ㅠㅠ Please get better soon”
  • “Oh, Im Chan Kyu, LOL. Totally acceptable.”
  • “But you’re a baseball player hahaha”
  • “LOL he talks so much LOL”
  • “Chan Kyu LOOOL He was in my class in middle school and he used to talk a lot.”
  • “He came out on ‘You Quiz on the Block’ hahaha”
  • “I came in here wondering who else it can be other than Chan Kyu, and it was Chan Kyu LOL”
  • “Ohhh because he talks a lot? HAHAHA! So funny. I hope for a complete recovery LOL”
  • “Hahaahahah”
  • “I can’t LOOOL”
  • “Normally, I would wonder why a baseball player would ever get vocal nodules. But if it’s Chan Kyu, I understand…”
  • “I wonder how much he talks, LOL Is he going to be okay during the two-week vocal rest? He’s going to be itching to talk LOL”
  • “Huh? During the offseason….?”

Thankfully, nodules usually go away after vocal rest or vocal therapy, and it does not cause any severe problems unless the person’s job requires a lot of singing or speaking.

Im Chan Kyu and fellow LG Twin player Oh Ji Hwan recently appeared on the November 22 episode of tvN‘s You Quiz on the Block and discussed their victory in the Korean series after 29 years. He joined the LG Twins in 2011.

Source: theqoo, National Library of Medicine (1) and (2) and Twitter
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