[Sportschosun, Reporter Lee Woo-joo] Seo Bun-rye opened up about the resentment she has carried toward her husband on "Special Report World."
The MBN program "Special Report World," which aired on the 2nd, featured the story of cheonggukjang master Seo Bun-rye and her husband.
After spotting her husband's car near her home, Seo Bun-rye took a long detour to avoid him. Explaining why she avoids him, she confessed, "What trouble could a man possibly cause? He used my money to buy a car for another woman and gave her gifts. When I gave birth, even if I called him, he would not come. He would stay out playing go, and only come after I had already delivered the baby. Because of my husband, I suffered from depression and panic disorder. I also had heart disease."
Seo Bun-rye, who said she and her husband have lived separately for 40 years, explained, "We were so poor when I was young that I asked, 'Can I spend all the money I earn on myself?' I was grateful to my husband for that. When I asked, 'Can I give all the money I earn to my parents?' he said it was fine."
The couple prospered through their travel agency business. Seo Bun-rye said, "We used that money to buy land in Dongdaemun. A few years later, the land price doubled, and I actually held 10 billion won in my hands. I thought my heart would burst and I would die." She added that they built a 12 billion won building in Gangnam and expanded their travel business to Japan, Southeast Asia, and other regions. But during the IMF Crisis, Seo Bun-rye was buried in debt and lost everything except 30 million won.
Seo Bun-rye rebuilt her life through cheonggukjang on the only piece of land left in Anseong. Even so, the resentment she felt toward her husband did not disappear.
Seo Bun-rye, who exercises every day and carefully maintains her health, revealed that she "came out after lying in the hospital for a year" and said, "I went to the hospital because I was not urinating properly, and a CT scan showed that there was a hole in my intestine."
While undergoing surgery, Seo Bun-rye suffered sudden peritonitis and had to go through four major operations. She was even told at the hospital to prepare for the end of her life. Seo Bun-rye said, "While I was in the intensive care unit, my hands relaxed, the tension in my shoulders eased, and I felt no pain. I felt so comfortable. I started thinking, 'If I am going to die, maybe there is nothing left to hold on to.' I thought my husband must have a lot bottled up too, so I should let it go." Although she decided to forgive him, putting that decision into action was not easy.
Seo Bun-rye said, "He had an affair in Korea. Our daughter caught him because he was making and receiving calls every five minutes. She told me about it. When I checked the call records, he had called 50 or 60 times a day." She added, "That woman was very pretty. When I went to her house and took photos, I found out he had bought her the exact same clothes as mine. I was in so much pain I thought I would die. That is why I was admitted to a psychiatric hospital."
When Seo Bun-rye finally faced her husband after 40 years, she shed tears and said, "Even if I go first, never make the children suffer. Live well and come after me. I worry that if I am not around, the children will blame you."
wjlee@sportschosun.com
