[Sportschosun, Kim Soo-hyun] Broadcaster Jo Hye-ryun spoke candidly about the worries she faced over her two children’s studies and career paths, as well as the choices she made as a parent.
On the 27th, a video titled "Why does she live so fiercely... The reason Lee Sung-mi prayed while watching Jo Hye-ryun" was uploaded to the YouTube channel "Lee Sung-mi’s Can’t Go?"
That day, Lee Sung-mi asked about Jo Hye-ryun’s children, saying, "What many people are curious about is this: if things are going so well for you professionally, how are your children doing?"
Jo Hye-ryun introduced them by saying, "I have a son, Woo Joo, and a daughter, Yoon Ah," and began by talking about her daughter.
She recalled, "Yoon Ah was attending a prestigious high school in Korea, but one day she dropped out. She said it was too hard to keep struggling in competition, and she wondered whether living like that was really happy. At that time, I told her, 'You decide.' It was not an easy decision for me either."
Yoon Ah later enrolled in an international school and studied in the United States for a year, but returned home because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jo Hye-ryun said, "Living in the United States changed her a lot. I think she was influenced by the culture there, where students pay their own tuition and become independent from their parents," adding, "As soon as she came back to Korea, she took on tough part-time jobs without hesitation, even carrying crates of beer while working at a convenience store."
She then spoke about her son, Woo Joo. "I’ve talked about this many times on TV, but I often told him, 'Just quit, Woo Joo,'" she said. "In the end, Woo Joo was only at the level of a middle school graduate when he was 18."
She explained, "Woo Joo became interested in soccer in the United States and entered school dreaming of becoming a goalkeeper, but he could not beat another student in his grade and never got to play in matches. He was having such a hard time that I told him to quit."
He later transferred to an international school, but left midway because English was too difficult. He then moved to a Christian school, but could not adjust there either. In the end, he went to the Philippines, where he also went through a difficult time.
Jo Hye-ryun said, "My child was struggling so much that I prayed, 'Please just let him come back to Korea, and I promise he will live well.' At that time, I truly could not see a way forward."
After Woo Joo returned to Korea, she asked him what he wanted to do, and he said he wanted to play games.
Jo Hye-ryun said, "We did not brush that off lightly. My husband looked into the games he liked himself and found a game planning academy for him."
They also helped him prepare for the High School Equivalency Examination, and Woo Joo focused on his studies as well. Jo Hye-ryun said proudly, "Woo Joo worked incredibly hard and was accepted to college at 19, one year ahead of his peers."
At present, Jo Hye-ryun’s son is working hard while on a Working Holiday in Sydney, Australia.
Meanwhile, Jo Hye-ryun remarried in 2014 and has a daughter, Kim Yoon Ah, and a son, Kim Woo Joo, with her former husband.
shyun@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
