Korean announcer Bae Sung-jae and his wife Kim Da-young have opened up about the 14-year age gap and the initial opposition from Kim's family.
On the October 5th episode of SBS's variety show 'Same Bed, Different Dreams 2 - You Are My Destiny,' the couple joined the cast.
Bae Sung-jae married his fellow announcer Kim Da-young, who is 14 years his junior, in May of last year. The couple opted for a simple marriage registration without a formal wedding ceremony.
During the show, Bae revealed that he is only 11 years younger than his mother-in-law. He explained, “My wife and her mother have a 25-year age difference, and my mother and my mother-in-law also have a 25-year age difference.” He humorously added that when both families gather, it feels like “three generations are coming together.” Bae also shared that his mother adores his wife, saying, “She just wants to cook for her and doesn’t even let her do the dishes.”
However, Kim Da-young's parents initially opposed the marriage due to the age difference. Kim recounted, “As soon as I shared the news of our relationship, my family was in an uproar. It was a complete shock. Our family usually doesn’t have conflicts, but the day I first mentioned marriage, there were loud arguments, and the atmosphere was chaotic.”
She continued, “My younger sibling was in tears. From their perspective, Bae Sung-jae’s age is like that of a department head at their workplace. The idea of their sister marrying someone that age was shocking.”
Despite her family's opposition, Kim was determined not to make her husband apologize. “I didn’t want to make him kneel and apologize. I tried to resolve it myself by sitting my family down and explaining in detail why I decided to marry him. Thankfully, it worked, and things went smoothly,” she explained.
Bae Sung-jae admitted that during his first meal with his in-laws, he had prepared remarks but ended up only being able to apologize.
Reported by Tae Yuna, Ten Asia youyou@tenasia.co.kr