Actor Kim Jung-tae and Son Ji-hoo Join 'Dad and Me Season 3': A Glimpse into a Prodigy's Life

Actor Kim Jung-tae is set to appear as a new 'Dad Representative' alongside his 16-year-old son on TV CHOSUN's 'Dad and Me Season 3'.

The show features Kim Jung-tae, a veteran actor of 28 years, and his son Kim Ji-hoo, who was affectionately known as 'Yakkoong' when he appeared on TV at the age of four. Ji-hoo's adorable appearance earned him the nickname and made him a nationwide sensation.

Twelve years have passed since then, and Han Hye-jin expressed curiosity about Ji-hoo's current status, noting rumors of him being a prodigy fluent in six languages. Kim Jung-tae confirmed, "He speaks English, Chinese, and Arabic among others, but we've asked him to focus on just English." Ji-hoo's impressive linguistic skills left Jeon Hyun-moo envious, as he remarked, "Even after years of studying, I can't achieve native fluency like him."

Ji-hoo's genius doesn't stop there. At the age of 16, while his peers are engrossed in gaming, he is developing games using physics principles. He was selected as a science prodigy in middle school and graduated with honors from a science academy. His hobbies include animation production and coding.

Ji-hoo, who is so proficient in English that he even talks to himself in the language, shared, "English is more comfortable for me. It has fewer homonyms than Korean, and there are too many things in Korean that don't match their meanings. I don't understand Korean's irony." His mother speculated, "I think Ji-hoo has Asperger's syndrome. He becomes intensely focused on one thing and shows little interest in others."

Asperger's syndrome, like the character Woo Young-woo from the drama 'Extraordinary Attorney Woo', is characterized by exceptional talent in specific areas but a lack of empathy and social skills. Ji-hoo's habit of categorizing bottle caps by color supports his mother's suspicion.

Catch more of Kim Ji-hoo's story on TV CHOSUN's 'Dad and Me Season 3', airing Wednesday, the 11th, at 10 PM.

Reported by Kim Se-ah, TenAsia haesmik@tenasia.co.kr