Jo Hye-ryun Shares Emotional Tribute to Her Mother on 'Baekban Journey'

On the recent episode of TV Chosun's 'Baekban Journey with Heo Young-man', guest Jo Hye-ryun opened up about her mother, shedding tears as she shared heartfelt memories.

The episode, aired on the 9th, featured host Heo Young-man and Jo Hye-ryun visiting Gyeonggi-do's Anyang and Gunpo, places filled with Jo's childhood memories.

Jo Hye-ryun reminisced about her debut in the drama 'Mr. Q', which featured stars like Kim Min-jong, Kim Hee-sun, and Song Yoon-ah. She humorously recounted, "I appeared in one of your works, Mr. Heo. I debuted in the drama 'Mr. Q'."

Heo Young-man asked Jo if she always intended to become a comedian. Jo replied, "I graduated from Hanyang University's Theater and Film Department. Usually, when you think of theater and film, you think of stars like Choi Soo-jong and Shin Ae-ra, but Hanyang was different. My classmates were Lee Moon-sik, Kwon Hae-hyo, and Hong Seok-cheon, who were all a bit ambiguous," she laughed. She added, "I actually failed the comedian exam. My acting was over-the-top, and they didn't like my 'Gollum style' back then."

Jo also shared the struggles her mother faced after giving birth to her daughters. "My mom had eight children," Jo revealed, noting that her mother had seven daughters. "After giving birth, my grandmother would send her to the fields as punishment, preventing her from proper postpartum care. Her body suffered, and she had to have metal rods inserted in her back six times," Jo shared.

She continued, "My mother was so resilient. She started a business at Anyang Central Market. I helped her for four years, from the end of my fourth-grade year to my second year of middle school. We didn't have a store, so we sold goods while moving around," she recalled.

Jo, who directed and starred in the play 'I Love You, Mom', said, "By directing and playing the role of my mom, I came to understand her better. This play brought us closer."

She recounted a Christmas performance where her family attended, and she saw her mother in the audience. "I realized I hadn't understood my mom. Through this play, I felt like I was expressing our feelings to her. I cried that day, but since others didn't know why, I held it in," Jo confessed, tears welling up.