Hong Seok-cheon Moved to Tears by Youn Yuh-jung's Son's Coming Out

Hong Seok-cheon revealed that he was moved to tears by Youn Yuh-jung's public discussion about her son's coming out.

On the October 25th episode of MBC's variety show 'Radio Star,' featuring the special segment 'Business is So Easy!', guests included Lee Bong-won, Hong Seok-cheon, Cha Jun-hwan, and Kang Ji-young.

During the show, Hong Seok-cheon shared that this year marks the 25th anniversary of his own coming out. He expressed, "I want to take this opportunity to say something. Not long ago, senior actress Youn Yuh-jung publicly talked about her son. Watching that, I was truly moved to tears. It reminded me of my mother's feelings."

He continued, "I can only imagine the many thoughts and conversations that must have taken place, and I want to applaud her. I wanted to say thank you for being open and understanding."

Previously, Youn Yuh-jung had revealed in April that her eldest son is gay. In an interview conducted in the United States, she stated, "Korea is a very conservative country. People never come out publicly or to their parents. But because my eldest son is gay, I shared my experiences with him in the film 'Wedding Banquet.'"

She further explained, "My eldest son came out as gay in 2000. When New York legalized same-sex marriage, he held his wedding there. Since it was still a secret in Korea, our whole family went to New York."

Hong Seok-cheon also shared, "I received an award at the Pride Awards, which honors individuals or organizations that have contributed to the rights of sexual minorities. I've been in the entertainment industry for over 30 years, and the awards I've received include a bronze medal at the KBS College Comedy Festival and being named one of Time magazine's 20 Asian Heroes in 2004. This is now my third significant award."

He added, "While others receive Baeksang and Entertainment Awards, I haven't been as fortunate with awards. Despite my recognition, I haven't received many awards." To this, Kim Gu-ra responded, "You are a great mountain and pillar for the gay community, and a significant inspiration."

Tae Yuna, TenAsia Reporter youyou@tenasia.co.kr