Jung Woo-sung, one of South Korea’s most prominent actors, apologized on Friday (Nov. 29) for conceiving a child out of wedlock, drawing criticism in this country of conservative family values.
“I am so sorry to everyone who showed love and believed in me for the worry and disappointment I caused,” Jung Woo-sung said at the Blue Dragon Film Awards ceremony in Seoul.
His agency previously revealed that he was the father of model Moon Ga-bi’s son, 35, born last March. The latter had recently announced that she had become a mother, without revealing the identity of the father.
“I will accept and endure all criticism. As a father, I will assume my responsibilities towards my son until the end,” said the 51-year-old actor, who has been one of his country’s star actors since his debut in the 90s.
Described as “irresponsible”
According to local media, model Moon Ga-bi wanted to marry Jung Woo-sung to “give her son a family,” but the actor refused. Although the actor assured that he would act as a father, his silence about this supposed marriage earned him strong reprimands, with many calling him “irresponsible”, while single mothers and their children continue to be stigmatized in South Korea, a socially conservative country.
The 50-year-old had long escaped scandal and cultivated a good image, serving as ambassador for the United Nations Refugee Agency for almost ten years, until July. A hat that his detractors have turned against him.
“He talked a lot about (welcoming) refugees and yet he made his own son a refugee,” one user commented on a news site’s page.
Fewer children, fewer marriages
South Korea has the lowest birth rate in the world, with 0.72 children per woman in 2023. Only 4.7% of births occur outside of marriage, one of the lowest figures in a panel of 38 countries developed countries where the average is around 40%.
At the same time, the number of marriages is also decreasing. According to experts, the very strict legal definition of what a family is in South Korea may explain these phenomena.
In particular, the very rare cases of adoptions accepted for a single adult, the impossibility for single women to resort to sperm donation, and the non-legal recognition of same-sex marriage stand out.
“The reality is that everyone is unique,” said opposition parliamentarian Lee So-young, an advocate of other forms of family structure for her country, after having seen her parents divorce when she was a child.
“A society that respects these differences would undoubtedly be a better society, right?” added the member of the Democratic Party.
Source: BFM TV
