Actor Jin Tae-hyun expresses sorrow over marathon accident that leaves runner brain-dead
Published: 11 Nov. 2025, 16:24
![Actor Jin Tae-hyun shares on Nov. 11 a post about a runner in their 20s who is declared brain-dead after being hit by a truck during a marathon. [SCREEN CAPTURE]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/11/11/222e997f-ec65-45fa-99bf-a4804b2b8419.jpg)
Actor Jin Tae-hyun shares on Nov. 11 a post about a runner in their 20s who is declared brain-dead after being hit by a truck during a marathon. [SCREEN CAPTURE]
Actor Jin Tae-hyun expressed sorrow following a tragic accident in which a runner in his 20s was hit by a truck during a marathon and declared brain-dead.
Jin, who began running marathons two years ago and debuted as a race commentator in September, shared a news article about the incident on Instagram on Tuesday.
He posted a headline reading, “Runner in his 20s declared brain-dead after being struck by truck during marathon,” and criticized what he described as inadequate traffic control.
"The race took place on a two-lane road, and only one lane was blocked off," he wrote. "The victim was a rising talent who ran this year’s Dong-A Marathon in 2 hours and 13 minutes. This is just heartbreaking.
"I ask everyone to pray for the athlete, their family and fellow runners."
The accident occurred around 10 a.m. Monday in Okcheon County, North Chungcheong, during a regional relay marathon.
An 82-year-old driver struck the runner with a 1-ton Porter truck. The runner, who was affiliated with Cheongju’s municipal track and field team, suffered severe head injuries.
The runner was transferred to a hospital in Daejeon, where he was declared brain-dead about six and a half hours later.
The marathon, which was hosted by the North Chungcheong Athletics Federation, spanned 231.1 kilometers (143 miles) across three days.
It began in Yeongdong and passed through several cities and counties in the region. Runners used the second lane of the road, while vehicles were permitted to travel in the first lane under police control.
The driver reportedly attempted to overtake another vehicle by moving into the second lane, where the collision occurred. Police confirmed the driver was not under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time.
The driver reportedly told investigators that they "didn't see the runner."
The remaining segments of the race, originally scheduled to continue through Wednesday, have been canceled. Authorities are investigating the exact circumstances of the crash.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JANG GU-SEUL [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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