South Korean actor Park Jae-hyun has talked about his divorce, money problems, and his daughter's major health problems in a very personal way. He has given a very honest look at the problems he faced after his marriage ended.
The 48-year-old was on the TV Chosun variety show "X's Private Life," where divorced couples watch each other's daily lives and talk about their prior romances. During the show, Park talked about his ex-wife Han Hye-joo, whom he married even though they were 16 years apart in age.
Naver reported that Park remembered the beginning of their relationship with mixed feelings. He said, "I felt like she was like a baby rather than a woman." He continued, "We started a long-distance relationship traveling back and forth between Incheon and Daejeon, and I was attracted to her mature side."
Their love moved swiftly, and they got married following an unexpected pregnancy. Park remarked, "My parents were very happy, and everything was comfortable leading up to the wedding."
But things quickly went wrong in the marriage. Park remarked, "I was happy after my daughter was born, but realistic conflicts began after marriage." He added, "The generation gap and differences in values grew increasingly large."
Money issues made their problems worse. Park declared, "I quit acting. My appearance fee for 'Surprise' was less than $300 per episode, and my monthly income was around $1,100." He added, "I stepped down from work to protect my family."
His daughter's health was the hardest part for him. Park added, "My daughter has undergone four surgeries so far due to a congenital heart disease." He further explained, "I found out she had transposition of the great arteries when she was five months pregnant."
The marriage hit a rough patch when there was familial stress. Park stated, "I was going to live with my parents ahead of my daughter's surgery, but my ex-wife said she felt uncomfortable with my parents." He added, "That day, I packed my bags, left, and brought up divorce first."
Han Hye-joo had a different view on why their marriage ended. She began her answer by saying, "Park Jae-hyun always put his mother first," and "I did not want a divorce until the very end," revealing conflicting viewpoints between the two.
MK says that Park later took on a number of tasks to make ends meet, including as running a YouTube channel, working in insurance, and even becoming a designated driver. He also tried to start a firm in another country. He added that after that trip to Vietnam, he "returned completely bankrupt."
Even if things were rough, Park stressed that he was still committed to his kid. He also talked about how worried he was about his ex-wife's life now. He stated, "I am worried that my daughter might be hurt," referring to the fact that his ex-wife is now a shaman.
He did say, though, that their friendship has gotten better over time. Park remarked, "We are currently on good terms like friends, and we share the same goal of raising our daughter well." This gave him a more positive view.
