Comedian Hong Hyun-hee candidly shared her struggles with balancing motherhood and personal life.
On the 14th, the YouTube channel 'Hong Hyun-hee and Jason's HongssunTV' released a video titled 'Her Heart That Was Hard to Speak'.
In the video, Hong Hyun-hee hesitated to accept her husband Jason's suggestion for a day trip to Fukuoka, Japan. Jason lightly encouraged her by saying, "I'll book the tickets, just go," but Hong Hyun-hee's dilemma deepened.
Hong Hyun-hee expressed, "Firstly, I feel guilty towards my child. I feel bad about not being there when he comes back from kindergarten," questioning, "What should I focus on, my feelings?" She continued, "I have to play with him if I wake up early, but talking about it makes me feel suffocated," expressing her frustration.
She confessed, "I already miss out on parenting while working, and missing out for personal reasons makes me feel guilty," adding, "This might be the struggle of a working mom."
Jason tried to persuade her, saying, "It's not a 3-night trip, just a day trip. It's only 6 hours," but Hong Hyun-hee's concerns persisted. She pondered, "Shouldn't I dedicate my day off entirely to my child?" and worried, "Is it selfish to go for my own pleasure?"
Hong Hyun-hee revealed deeper confusion in her self-reflection. She admitted, "I want to go. I've never gone anywhere freely by myself," yet added, "But guilt follows. I feel suffocated by myself."
She also shared, "I was really envious when Jason went on a trip. I haven't even gone to a company dinner since having the baby. Even though he's my husband, he's still another person. If others think of me this way, why can't I think for myself? It hits me hard."
Hong Hyun-hee confessed, "I'm worried about how others perceive me and if I seem selfish. Not understanding my own feelings is more frustrating." Ultimately, confronting her emotions, she decided, "I feel like I've been living too confined. I want to give hope to mothers like me and for my child," and chose to go on the day trip.
Meanwhile, Hong Hyun-hee married Jason in 2018 and they have a son named Jun-beom.
Reported by Kim Eun-jung, Ten Asia, eun@tenasia.co.kr