Shim Hyung-tak, Park Soo-hong, 'Age Gap Marketing'

The pride of male celebrities who got a wife who is 'the size of a daughter' continues on the broadcasting station. These are the ones who met their wives with an age difference of at least 18 years and a maximum of 24 years. As broadcast production crews repeatedly use the age difference in marriage as a subject matter, viewers who watch it are also feeling fatigued.

On the 5th of last month, actor Shim Hyung-tak announced that he had become a couple by registering his marriage with Saya Hirai, his Japanese wife 18 years younger than him, with whom he had been dating for 4 years. Shim Hyung-tak, who is about to get married in Japan in July and in Korea in August, appeared on MBC's 'Radio Star' on the 5th and revealed an anecdote about his persistent courtship for 8 months. mentioned On Channel A's 'Groom Class', which aired on the same day, Shim Hyung-tak smiled and said, "I've been getting a lot of finger pointing these days. He's a thief. It doesn't sound bad and I feel good."

Actor Choi Seong-guk also married a wife who was 'daughter-like'. He married a girlfriend 24 years younger than him in November last year, and in May, he announced that he would become a 'preliminary father' at the age of 54 on TV Chosun's 'Lovers of Joseon' and that he would give birth in September.

Previously, in September of last year, he carefully confessed the age difference with his bride-to-be at the time of the pilot of 'Lovers of Joseon', saying that they were 'the same age as the two wheels'. After confessing the age gap with the bride-to-be, there was silence in the car.

Choi Seong-guk showed concern about the age gap, but later, at the press conference for 'Chosun's Lovers', he said, "It was unexpected. I was scared because I knew how to take all the swear words in the world. Besides, my wife was very afraid of broadcasting. But after the broadcast, They said they enjoyed watching it more than I thought, and they pretended to know me, so I thought it wasn't a bad choice."

Comedian Park Soo-hong also got married to his girlfriend 23 years younger than him in December last year. Last December, on TV Chosun's 'Lovers of Joseon', Park Soo-hong revealed the story of how he persistently courted his wife, Kim Da-ye, to win her heart by volunteering as a driver for a year.

He expressed concern about the age difference to his wife Kim Daye in KBS2's 'Pyeon Restaurant', saying, "There must be many people who misunderstand. There is an age difference." Afterwards, Park Soo-hong expressed his earnest heart in March's 'Joseon Lover', saying, "I am doing everything I can to give birth to a daughter."

Marriage with a 'daughter's age' with a 20-year age difference is not common. In the past, it was difficult to reveal it, but now it has become an era where you can show off on TV. As two adults love each other and got married, there is nothing to say about it. There are many examples of couples living well despite the actual age difference.

only once or twice If marriage with a 20-year age gap is repeatedly used as a broadcasting concept as if boasting, side effects may follow. Due to the repetitive content, viewers cannot help but wonder if it is 'age difference marketing'. It is pointed out that the viewpoints that view marriage with a daughter's age as uncomfortable can increase as the number of broadcasts is repeated. If a couple has to appear together, wouldn't it be more relatable to viewers to tell the story of the two people honestly rather than repeatedly mentioning and highlighting the age difference?

Reporter Kim Se-ah, Ten Asia haesmik@tenasia.co.kr