ENTERTAINMENT
Baek Il-seop "National Dad? I'm sorry for drinking and yelling and hurting my daughter."
TV CHOSUN's 'Daddy and Me', which aired on the 17th, recorded a viewer rating of 5.6% (Nielsen Korea, nationwide standard), ranking first among all-time programs in its time slot for seven consecutive weeks, as well as first place overall in Wednesday comprehensive viewership ratings. The highest viewership rating on this day exceeded 7.5% (Nielsen Korea, nationwide standard), breaking its own record.
On this day, Baek Il-seop mentioned the reason why he decided to appear on 'Dad and Me', and mentioned the 'perfect father and daughter' Kang Joo-eun, who had previously received support from many viewers by revealing their life as a couple for the first time in 30 years. Baek Il-seop, who watched Kang Joo-eun and Canada's 'Sweet Daddy' with particularly bright eyes, confessed his true feelings, saying, "When I see that, I just want to hide." At the same time, she expressed her strong will to improve her relationship with her daughter, saying, "I need to learn too. Isn't there a school for my father in Korea?"
Baek Il-seop also expressed his regret for his daughter, saying, "I often had trouble with my wife, and when she went home after drinking, she screamed at me. I think I still feel bad for showing such behavior to my daughter when she was young." Baek Il-seop, who revealed that he had not been in contact with his daughter after his graduation and met again after 7 years thanks to the efforts of his son-in-law, said, "I didn't know the direction because I had never talked to her in person. I always have a loving heart..." and said, "I have always had a loving heart..." He expressed his disappointment in the conversation. He continued, "I want to tell my daughter that I love her. It may take a long time, but I plan to take it step by step," and expressed her extraordinary determination in working on 'Dad and Me.'
Baek Il-seop's single house, where he lives with his two dogs 'Jenny' and 'Kkomeongi', was also revealed. He aroused curiosity by traveling a long distance, passing through three toll gates, more than an hour from home to groom his dog. It turned out that he was using a dog grooming salon near his daughter's noodle shop to see his daughter's face. With excitement, I went to my daughter's noodle shop with gifts for my grandchildren, but my daughter was gone. Baek Il-seop expressed his regret, saying, "It's strange because I can't see Ji-eun," and Baek Il-seop's son-in-law said, "I think my wife stayed away even though she knew my father was coming because she still hasn't fully resolved her feelings for him. The resentment had been building up for a long time. “Because of this, the door to my heart is only half open. That’s why I came out in his place.”
And Baek Il-seop's son-in-law said, "I saw the news about the graduation through the news. I didn't know that it would take this long, but as the children grew up, they started wondering who their grandfather was. Seeing my wife pass the situation off as 'there is no grandfather,' I no longer wanted to know. “I thought it couldn’t be delayed, so I contacted my father,” he said, confessing the reason for starting mediation between father and daughter. On this day, Baek Il-seop's three maternal grandchildren were also revealed, following his son-in-law. Baek Il-seop, who smiled broadly at the appearance of his grandchildren and showed eyes dripping with honey, expressed his special affection, saying, "I missed my eldest granddaughter, so I always called her even when I was abroad filming 'Grandpas Over Flowers.'" He then explained his relationship with his grandchildren, saying, "The last time I saw him was when I was holding my second child. I did not see my youngest child born."
In the conversation between Baek Il-seop and his son-in-law, stories that had been hidden in their hearts were exchanged. Baek Il-seop's son-in-law told his wife's story, saying, "When he was young, the father on TV was a kind 'nation's dad,' but he made loud noises at home and was very hurt by that sight." In response, Baek Il-seop said, "In hindsight, when I thought about it, I was a 'pants dad.'" He continued, "When Ji-eun entered college, I went to a car store to buy her a car and had my own thoughts. However, without consulting me, my mother and Ji-eun decided to do something together." “I decided that I wanted to buy a car. You don’t know how sad I felt,” he said, confiding his true feelings for the first time in 9 years of divorce.
On the other hand, Baek Il-seop's son-in-law surprised everyone with a straightforward statement, "I think your father's high marriage was a big mistake." He then expressed his regret about Baek Il-seop's graduation, saying, "My father's graduation was a very one-sided way. Graduation should have been carried out through sufficient dialogue between both parties to minimize resentment, but it seems that no such process took place at all." Baek Il-seop's son-in-law expressed his honest feelings, saying, "I don't want my father and mother to live together. I think it would be nice if you could at least say, 'I had a hard time raising my children.'" In response, Baek Il-seop ended the conversation by saying, "If the relationship with my daughter improves through conversation, I can listen to what my daughter says about my relationship with the child's mother."
Meanwhile, 'beginner farmer' Park Se-ra went out to farm with her parents to get compost. Here, Se-ra Park showed off her 'farming genius' skills by showing off her flame shoveling skills and stable driving of a wheelbarrow, and MC Jeon Hyun-moo praised her, saying, "I think she's the best at farming among the models." When Se-ra Park suggested a cattle farm business, saying, "It seems more appropriate to raise cows than farming," her father responded, "You should just do research to get married," making her laugh.
On this day, Se-ra Park prepared a surprise event to commemorate her parents' 50th wedding anniversary. Se-ra Park revealed the background to preparing for the event, saying, "My parents were so busy living that they couldn't even think about going somewhere to take pictures with their children. That's why I don't have any family pictures." While she was momentarily thrilled by her first family photo shoot, Park Se-ra's pride as a 'top model' was dealt a blow when her photographer criticized everything from her basic posture to the direction of her face. Se-ra Park said, "I've been a model for 19 years, and this is the first time I've received criticism for a pose," and was embarrassed, saying, "You don't have to nag me. I'm a veteran."
Following the family photo, Se-ra Park's first wedding photo shoot in 50 years was also held for her parents. Park Se-ra impressed viewers with her meticulousness in preparing in advance the tuxedo and wedding dress her parents would wear. Park Se-ra's mother expressed her gratitude to her daughter's unexpected gift, saying, "I was really grateful. I never imagined that she would even prepare a dress," while adding, "I wish I had taken a picture before Dad's waist got bent even further... I was a little upset." He confessed his true feelings and made everyone cry.
The photo shoot was followed by a wonderful dinner prepared by Se-ra Park. During the meal, Park Se-ra asked her mother, “Have you ever heard Dad say I love you?” and then said, “Dad, can’t you just say I love you to Mom?” Park Se-ra's father burst into laughter by replying, "Are you crazy?" But later, he confessed his true feelings through a video letter, saying, "I was so embarrassed that I couldn't express it. I love you on the inside," creating a heartwarming experience.
Ten Asia Reporter Kim Seo-yoon seogugu@tenasia.co.kr
