Actor Kim Min-jae has penned a tearful letter to his mother, whom he hasn't seen in nearly 40 years.
On the October 30th episode of tvN STORY's 'Each House Couple,' Kim Min-jae candidly shared his long-standing conflicts and separation from his parents.
During the broadcast, he revealed, "My parents ran a large shoe store in the city, but when it went bankrupt, life became difficult. My conflicts with my father deepened, and I haven't seen my mother even once in 40 years."
Kim Min-jae also disclosed that four years ago, he discovered a comment left by his mother on social media. "She commented pretending to be a fan, but I recognized her immediately," he expressed, conveying both surprise and emotion. He added, "Even though it's been so long since I've lived apart from my mom, the desire to see her remains."
Kim Min-jae responded to his mother's comment, and the next day, she replied back. Her message, "I miss you too. Thinking of you makes my heart ache," brought tears to his eyes.
He confessed, "For 40 years, I've wanted to call out 'mom' just once," and wrote a heartfelt letter to her. Visiting her home, he hesitated to ring the doorbell, saying, "I was cautious about visiting. I thought it would be rude to suddenly show up," and left the letter in her mailbox instead.
At a café in his mother's neighborhood, Kim Min-jae placed a flowerpot with a dog figurine, symbolizing his wish to meet her. "The dog is me, and the heart is mom," he said, shedding tears as he read his letter.
He wrote, "Mom, it's Min-jae. How is your health? I hope my letter doesn't disrupt your daily life. I don't know how to act in this situation, but I'm here in the neighborhood where you live. Did you walk this autumn street on the hill? Did you pass by here during your morning or early evening walks? Maybe you stood on this path I'm walking on? I felt your presence on every path I took. I brought an olive tree as a gift, but couldn't deliver it to your home. If you ever come here, please think of me once in a while. I support you, love you, and wish you good health!" expressing the words he longed to say for 40 years.
The show's cast members also empathized deeply with his feelings, shedding tears as they watched.
Na-yeon Cho, TenAsia Reporter nybluebook@tenasia.co.kr