'Love Call Center': Kim Yong-bin opens up on hiatus; reveals seven-year battle panic disorder

TV CHOSUN's 'Love Call Center - Seven Stars' airs a "human bandage" special at 10 p.m., positioning the TOP7 to console viewers through empathetic stages and personal stories of pain and recovery.

The episode's concept centres on artists becoming figurative bandages, highlighting a primetime showcase built on comfort and catharsis.

The weight behind the tears

"Jin" honoree Kim Yong-bin shared that he sometimes cries alone to recover during difficult periods, reflecting a longer arc of battling panic disorder that kept him off stages for about seven years. Reports recount that intense pressure after early stardom, voice change in late teens, and a prolonged slump culminated in anxiety episodes that made performing impossible for years.

He later framed that hiatus as fuel for deeper expression, saying the stored "Han" in his voice helped power his 'Mr.

Trot 3' resurgence, according to Sports Donga reporting.

How panic derailed a prodigy

Coverage describes panic symptoms severe enough to avoid elevators and stages, with performance pressure spiking whenever microphones beckoned, leaving a seven-year blank in his live career. Accounts trace triggers to the shift from a sought-after child prodigy to a 21-year-old whom "no one called," magnifying fear and hyperarousal until avoidance became a routine.

The turnaround began with a steady return to broadcasts, culminating in 'Mr.

Trot 3' victory and a relentless schedule that now includes only one to two rest days per month.

Fans mirror the recovery

A teen fan said Son Bin-ah's 'Mr. Trot 3' journey revived her music-school dream, and MC Kim Sung-joo noted how a hard-won path became someone else's aspiration. Another fan of Cheon Rok-dam recalled a decades-old marital wound, aligning with the show's aim to surface buried scars and offer solace through performances