[Sportschosun reporter Cho Min-jung] Park Seo Jin visited his hometown of Samcheonpo with his family for Chuseok. From visiting his father in the hospital, as his health had recently deteriorated, to holding an onboard memorial rite for his late grandmother, it was a day of alternating laughter and tears.
The Chuseok special of KBS2's "Mr. House Husband Season 2," which aired on the 26th, featured the story of Park Seo Jin's family.
Park Seo Jin visited the hospital after learning that his father, who had recently been feeling unwell, would undergo tests related to cerebrovascular disease. His eldest, third, and youngest paternal aunts were also at the hospital. The family members, reunited in one place for the first time in a while, reminisced about Park Seo Jin's childhood and their family history as they chatted animatedly.
The aunts were especially grateful to Park Seo Jin. He had previously paid for their airfare for a trip to Jeju. "We had a great trip to Jeju thanks to the gift certificates you sent. Thank you so much," they said, expressing their affection for their nephew.
After hearing this, Lee Yo-won exclaimed, "Did you even send your aunts on a trip to Jeju? You really take such good care of your family." His younger sibling, Park Hyo-jung, jokingly asked him to send her on a trip as well. Recalling his childhood, his aunts proudly said, "How did you grow so much?" and "You grew up to become a singer."
The warm atmosphere turned poignant when the family began talking about his late grandmother. They all agreed that Park Seo Jin's exuberance and janggu-playing skills resembled his grandmother's. Park Seo Jin's father recalled his mother, who had passed away about 30 years earlier, and her final moments. He revealed that she had died in his arms, showing that he still missed her despite the passage of time. He also tearfully recalled that she had appeared in his dreams for about three years after her death.
When Park Seo Jin asked his father what gift he wanted for Chuseok, his father offered an unexpected wish instead of asking for money or an object. "My wish is to meet your grandmother one more time," he said.
After hearing his father's words, Park Seo Jin prepared a special occasion with his family. They decided to take a boat to the Samcheonpo waters, where his grandmother's ashes had been scattered, and hold a memorial rite at sea. It was the first time in about 30 years that the family had held a memorial rite for his grandmother at sea. Park Seo Jin had arranged the ceremony after learning how deeply his father still missed his mother.
Earlier, Park Seo Jin's mother had also shared a heartbreaking memory while the family reminisced about the past. Even during her pregnancy, she had to work at sea to make a living, and she experienced a miscarriage in the process. She recalled that, even after giving birth to Park Seo Jin, she continued working at sea and struggled to care for him properly, so her mother-in-law looked after the young Park Seo Jin in her place. This made his grandmother an even more special presence in the family.
For Park Seo Jin's family, who grew up relying on the sea for their livelihood despite their limited means, the Samcheonpo waters were both a place of work and a repository of family memories and pain. On that sea, Park Seo Jin fulfilled his father's longtime wish and gave deeper meaning to Chuseok.
Park Seo Jin, who has built an image as a devoted, filial son by always taking meticulous care of his family, once again showed his exceptional affection for them by supporting his aunts' trip and personally preparing a memorial rite at sea for his father.
Cho Min-jung mj.cho@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
