‘Sperm Bank’ chosen by 4050 stars

Everyone is coming out as a ‘sperm bank’. “Did you freeze your sperm too? I froze it too.” Among stars in their 40s and 50s, ‘frozen sperm’ is truly the hottest issue.

On the 27th, Park Soo-hong confessed that he had frozen sperm for the first time on TV Chosun's 'Joseon's Lover'. He said, “I went to the hospital last week and had my sperm frozen. I have a bank.”

Comedian Kim Jun-ho, who is in a public relationship with comedian Kim Ji-min, is also using a sperm bank. Kim Jun-ho felt embarrassed before, but made a decision because he wanted to insert healthy sperm. He also confessed that he entrusted it to him because his sperm becomes weaker as he gets older. There are an increasing number of cases like Kim Jun-ho, who are trying to preserve strong sperm while they are at least one year younger.

Broadcaster Lee Sang-min was also revealed to have used a sperm bank by his best friend Tak Jae-hoon. Lee Sang-min said, "Even if you entrust it to them, (sperm) will be created. It costs more than 500,000 won to entrust it. I thought it was useless because people became lonely. If I was married to someone and suddenly had a problem due to an accident, I did it to give my wife a choice. He revealed the reason for depositing his sperm, saying, “When I go to the bank, there is sperm.”

Hong Rok-ki, who already has a son, Ruan, also entrusted sperm to a sperm bank. He said, "When I looked at the dog, I thought, 'The dog is this pretty, but how pretty will the child be?' Thinking like that led me to go to the hospital," he said, explaining why he decided to undergo IVF. “After hearing my wife’s advice to prepare quickly, I decided to get pregnant again,” he added.

Park Hwi-sun, who is newlyweds with his wife who is 17 years younger than him, is also thinking about a sperm bank. Born in 1977, he expressed his concerns, saying, "I'm worried because I'm older. I'm trying to figure out when to freeze."

In fact, it is rumored that startups specializing in sperm freezing are emerging in the United States. It appears that the time has come for men to think deeply about the pressure of infertility.

The desire to give birth to a healthy second generation was not limited to male stars in their 40s or older. Egg freezing is a hot issue even among female stars. Unlike the past, when she was silent, she proudly and without resistance expressed her femininity.

In particular, broadcaster Lee Ji-hye is called the Egg King. In the past, he said on a broadcast program, "If you are thinking of having a child, you should freeze it quickly." The more you freeze, the better.

Comedian Jang Do-yeon also chose egg freezing as the best thing she did. He underwent the procedure at the recommendation of his senior, Park Mi-seon. Jang Do-yeon said, "Senior told me to freeze my eggs. He is not a person who advises, gives orders, or gives advice, but he recommended egg freezing to me, saying, 'Do-yeon, you should make money to use it for times like this.'"

He then joked, "Even though (the egg) is still frozen, I feel at ease. I feel like I've really become more relaxed." Park Mi-sun cheered, saying, "I'm sure it's frozen well."

However, some experts are raising concerns about the social atmosphere in which sperm and egg freezing is becoming a trend. In a society where competition is becoming fiercer, marriage and childbirth are being pushed to the back of the priority list. Stars are no exception.

Freezing one's own sperm and eggs in order to have a healthy second generation, and the interest in this, is itself a phenomenon created by social structure. In a situation where it has emerged as a trend, deep consideration is needed before making a hasty choice.

Ryu Ye-ji, Ten Asia Reporter ryuperstar@tenasia.co.kr