[Sportschosun reporter Kim So-hee] Singer Tae Jin-ah has touched hearts by sharing his deep devotion to his wife, Lee Ok-hyeong, who is living with dementia.
A Chuseok special video released on the 22nd by YouTube channel CGN featured Tae Jin-ah, a veteran figure in the Korean music industry who is marking his 55th year since debut. He opened up about his daily life, quietly caring for his wife, who has had dementia, for the past seven years.
During the broadcast, Tae Jin-ah discussed his wife's current condition. "I give her medication in 13 separate doses a day. She no longer has the cognitive ability to go to the bathroom by herself, so I have to change her diapers and underwear as well," he said. "I don't have the time anymore to appear on broadcasts or perform on Gayo Stage as I used to."
He went on to explain that his wife had become the sole focus of his life. "Of the 100% of me that used to be active, 90% is gone. Only 10% remains, and 90% of me has to be by my wife's side," Tae Jin-ah said, candidly describing the reality of his demanding caregiving routine.
Yet even amid such a difficult routine, his voice conveyed not resentment or exhaustion, but a weighty sense of responsibility and deep love. "Isn't that my duty?" he said, revealing his affection for his wife.
He also looked back on the years he had spent with his wife. "It's already been seven years since my wife was diagnosed with dementia," he said. "It's been two years since her cognitive abilities declined significantly. She started getting worse about three or four years ago," he explained.
When MC Kim Jae-won remarked, "It seems the dementia is progressing relatively slowly," Tae Jin-ah replied, "I am truly grateful for that. I pray constantly. If my wife doesn't get up, I hold her hand and pray. Then she gets up again," expressing his deep faith.
He also shared his own caregiving philosophy. "You have to think of her as a baby. You have to say, 'Oh, how pretty' and 'I love you.' She likes hearing that she is pretty and loved," he said, revealing his tender feelings toward his wife.
Despite the hardships of caregiving, he also shared that he has recently become more at ease. In response to praise that his complexion looked much better, Tae Jin-ah smiled and said, "It used to be hard to stay active. But now we're together at home, aren't we?" His words moved viewers.
Meanwhile, Tae Jin-ah married Lee Ok-hyeong in 1981, and they have two sons. Their second son, Eru, is active as a singer and actor.
Kim So-hee yaqqol@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
