[Sportschosun Reporter Yoon-sun Jo] Lee Dong-gook’s daughter Jae-si candidly explained why she decided to take a leave of absence just three days before her departure for New York.
On the 16th, a video titled “I Took a Leave of Absence” was posted on the YouTube channel “What Time Is It, Jae-si?”
Jae-si said, “I graduated. Not officially—I graduated from the Korea campus. I was supposed to go to the New York campus and study for two more years, but I decided to take a leave of absence.” She added, “I studied really hard over the past two years and earned good grades. I’ve worked hard in my own way.”
Explaining her decision, Jae-si said, “I entered college at 18, about two years earlier than the other students.” She added, “If I went straight to New York, I felt like I would miss out on experiences I could have in Korea and spend those two years in New York.”
Jae-si had originally aimed to graduate as quickly as possible. She said, “If I had gone to New York without taking a leave of absence, I could have graduated at 22.” She continued, “But my family all tried to stop me. They urged me to wait a little longer before going to New York.”
She added, “Most of my classmates are older than me, like older sisters and brothers.” She said she had repeatedly been told, “You don’t have to make a decision in such a hurry. You can go to New York anytime, so it wouldn’t be too late to gain some experience in Korea, clearly decide on your direction, and then go.”
Although she had insisted on going to New York, Jae-si said, “At the time, I felt, ‘I don’t know—I’m just going to New York.’” She added, “Then I suddenly thought it would be okay to gain another year of work and social experience before going.”
Financial pressure was another reason she decided to take a leave of absence. She said, “The exchange rate was rising like crazy at the time. I thought that if I went to New York in that situation, it would bankrupt my family.” She added, “I’m the eldest daughter, after all, and I couldn’t stand by and watch that happen.”
She continued, “Everything in New York is so expensive, including rent. After agonizing over it until the end, I decided to take about a year off before going.” She added, “So now I’m unemployed.”
Earlier, Jae-si’s mother, Lee Soo-jin, said on the 9th that Jae-si had begun living independently in Seoul after deciding to take a leave of absence three days before her departure for New York.
Lee Soo-jin admitted, “I always said that she would have to live on her own once she became an adult, but when Jae-si actually said she was going to live independently, I burst into tears.”
She added, “Since she entered college two years early, I advised her to use her time and money for various experiences rather than rushing to graduate.” She continued, “Now is the time to trust her to do things on her own, rather than showing love by doing everything for her.”
Meanwhile, Lee Dong-gook’s daughter Jae-si graduated from the Korea campus of the State University of New York.
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
