[Sportschosun Reporter Lee Woo-joo] Park Seo-jin's father on 'Mr. House Husband' belatedly revealed that he has hearing loss.
The KBS2 variety show 'Mr. House Husband,' which aired on the 11th, showed Park Seo-jin's father going in for a hearing test.
Park Seo-jin's family, carrying a lot of luggage, rang the doorbell to call for his father, who was at home. But even after hearing the bell, he did not respond. Park Seo-jin said, "My dad once collapsed when he was alone in the past. For a moment, my heart sank." His anxiety grew even more when his father did not answer the phone either.
It turned out that his father had simply been listening to music in his room and had not heard the doorbell. He also struggled to hear his family's conversations.
His mother raised her voice as she explained why she had become frustrated, saying, "He even leaves the TV on extremely loud when he sleeps at night. Even when I ask him to turn it down, he can't hear me. It's not just once or twice; I keep telling him, and it's frustrating."
Park Seo-jin then suggested that his father use a hearing aid, but he refused, saying, "How old do you think I am to be wearing a hearing aid?"
Seeing that his father could not hear even small sounds, Park Seo-jin took him to the hospital. When he heard they were going to a hospital, his father strongly refused, saying, "Turn the car around." After much persuasion from the family, he finally went. Before the test, a doctor said, "When hearing problems develop, cognitive function declines more quickly. The risk of dementia is about five times higher than in people with normal hearing," shocking the family.
Only then did his father honestly admit his condition. He said, "I haven't been hearing well for seven or eight years," and explained why he had hidden his hearing loss, saying, "Hearing aids were expensive. As a parent, I didn't want to burden my children, so I couldn't bring myself to say anything."
He added, "Because my hearing has gotten worse every year, tinnitus also started. Until last year, I could still understand what people were saying to some extent, but this year I have become much worse at understanding."
The doctor asked, "Could frequent exposure to loud noise also have contributed to your hearing loss? Have you ever had any dangerous moments while on a boat?" His father replied, "I had put the boat up for sale, and while working at sea, my wife said a rope had wrapped around her foot, but I couldn't hear her and she almost fell into the sea. I thought I might end up going to the afterlife because I couldn't hear like this, so I decided to sell the boat. I have also narrowly escaped death many times," belatedly revealing why he gave up fishing.
Test results showed that his hearing in both ears had dropped far below normal levels. The doctor recommended hearing aids, and his father worried about the cost. Park Seo-jin then said, "What does money matter? We need to keep hearing your voice for a long time." In the end, his father put on the hearing aids.
wjlee@sportschosun.com
