Kwak Jung-eun Criticizes 'I Am Solo' for Exposing Family Matters on TV

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Korean broadcaster Kwak Jung-eun has shared her candid thoughts on the family revelations made by Ok-soon and Kyung-soo, a couple from the 22nd season of SBS Plus and ENA's 'I Am Solo'.

The couple appeared on tvN's 'Kim Chang-ok Show 4' on the 27th, where they discussed the challenges and realities of being a blended family. Ok-soon and Kyung-soo are remarried, each bringing a child from previous relationships—Ok-soon has a 5-year-old son, and Kyung-soo has an 11-year-old daughter.

Ok-soon tearfully expressed, "My husband is so good to me that it scares me. I'm afraid he might leave every time he does something nice." Kyung-soo shared, "I met my ex-wife in my first year of college and we were together for 10 years. We divorced due to her infidelity. I felt I was too busy and didn't take care of her. Now, I feel like I have to give my all to someone to keep them."

Ok-soon also mentioned, "My son accepts my husband and his daughter as his biological father and sister, but his daughter doesn't call me mom yet." Kyung-soo's daughter is still in contact with her biological mother and refers to Ok-soon as 'aunt'.

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Reacting to their story, Kwak Jung-eun posted a video on her channel 'Kwak Jung-eun's Private Life' on the 29th, titled "A Message to the I Am Solo Couple Ok-soon and Kyung-soo (feat. Psychological Advice)". She stated, "Broadcast producers are more interested in ratings and sensational stories than the happiness of the participants. When producers ask you to share everything honestly, you shouldn't comply entirely. Adults choose to reveal their faces, but children have no choice."

She continued, "When intimate family stories are broadcasted nationwide and remain online, children can't easily erase that. Children want to love both their biological and stepmothers, but if the whole nation knows and criticizes their mother's past, how can they cope?"

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Kwak further commented, "Ok-soon cried on the show, and if the child sees that, they might think 'If I express my struggles, it will burden my parents more,' leading them to hide their pain and act like the 'good child'. Producers should have considered the child's perspective and consulted psychological experts before airing such content. This decision might be irresponsible, not fully considering the child's standpoint."

She concluded, "Who truly benefits from such broadcasts? The couple might feel relieved and gain fame temporarily, but the child pays the price. The belief that 'it's okay because it's our family story' could be the parents' greatest arrogance. Children are not their parents' possessions but independent individuals."

Na-yeon Cho, TenAsia Reporter nybluebook@tenasia.co.kr