Model Moon Gabi’s photo of her son (left) and actor Jung Woo-sung. Moon Gabi Instagram·News 1
Recently, when actor Jung Woo-sung (51) admitted to having a child out of wedlock, not only the political world but also foreign media took notice.
The British BBC reported on the 27th (local time), “An actor’s confession that he had a child with an unmarried woman has sparked a national debate (in Korea) about celebrity behavior and non-traditional family structures.” did it
The BBC reported that the controversy over Korean star Jung Woo-sung’s having a child out of wedlock is causing strong backlash in Korea, where births out of wedlock are taboo. He pointed out that Korean online public opinion is generally critical of Jung Woo-sung, who has been promoting an upright and clean image, admitting to having a child out of wedlock, and that even politicians are joining in and causing controversy.
The BBC said, “Many netizens seem to believe that Jung Woo-sung has tarnished his previously wholesome and very clean image,” adding, “Some also expressed disappointment, saying that he, a former public relations ambassador for the UN Refugee Agency, ‘cannot even accept his own child.’ “He said. He also said, “Korea has an entertainment industry that is notorious for its strong pressure, with celebrities being held to excessively high social standards and placed under intense surveillance.”
The BBC reported the remarks of a member of the People Power Party who was interviewed by a conservative media outlet. Regarding Jung Woo-sung’s decision to give birth out of wedlock, the lawmaker said, “It is unthinkable in terms of the morals and traditions of our society,” and criticized, “No matter how times change, Korea’s traditions and public sentiment must be properly maintained.”
On the other hand, Lee So-young, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, said she defended Jung Woo-sung. Representative Lee supported Jung Woo-sung, saying, “I don’t know why something like that is subject to judgment and evaluation in the first place,” and “The decision to live with someone is a very existential decision.”
Some say that there are voices defending Jung Woo-sung and that there is a movement to change Korean society’s perception of the diversity of family structures. The BBC cited a recent public opinion poll in Korea showing an increase in the proportion of respondents who said out-of-wedlock births were acceptable, and reported that the view that marriage is necessary to have children is decreasing, especially among younger respondents.
According to the results of the 2024 Social Survey conducted by Statistics Korea on 36,000 people aged 13 and older, 37.2% of respondents answered, “You can have children without getting married.” Among them, 42.8% of young people aged 20 to 29 thought that “it is possible to have children without getting married.”
Previously, on the 24th, Jung Woo-sung announced through his agency that he is the biological father of a son recently given birth by model Moon Ga-bi (35) and that he will fulfill his responsibility for the child to the end.
The President’s Office also expressed its position as this controversy drew attention to ‘non-marital childbirth’, saying, “This is an area that needs to be further examined in the future to see what aspects of support can be provided so that all living beings can grow up healthily and happily without discrimination.” A high-ranking official in the Presidential Office said on the 28th, “There is a consistent government philosophy in that the state will actively support and protect each child born in a single-parent family or under various circumstances,” adding, “Most support policies are based on the parents’ marriage.” “It is being implemented regardless of whether or not it is implemented,” he emphasized.
Reporter Kim Soo-yeon sooya@segye.com
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Source: www.segye.com
