In the 327th episode of KBS Joy's 'Ask Anything,' aired on the 4th, a person working as a pilot in the United States appeared.
The individual stated that they emigrated to Canada during high school and are currently a dual citizen residing in the United States. They explained, "I left Korea because of emotional pain I experienced while I was there, and even though I am living comfortably in the U.S. now, I cannot overcome the sadness and hatred from my time in Korea. I feel like I have lived wrongly and came to ask what I should do."
When Lee Sugeun asked if the difficulties during high school influenced their decision to emigrate, the person confirmed and said, "I was teased a lot by other kids for being feminine since I was young, and I was bullied and beaten up, living without friends like that."
They confessed to being homosexual and revealed that after facing ridicule from other kids when they began dating a friend for the first time in their second year of high school, they expressed, "I felt like I could not live in Korea, so I asked to be sent abroad" and left Korea.
The person stated, "At first, when I went to Canada, I hated 'Korea' itself, so I threw away all my past memories: graduation albums, mixtapes, CDs. I never met a Korean person."
In response, Seo Jang-hoon expressed understanding by saying, "Because you suffered while in Korea, it makes sense that you would erase all memories and not speak Korean or meet other Koreans, leading to your struggle with language now."
When Lee Sugeun asked how life in Canada was, the individual replied, "It was not easy. I came out at church and was kicked out," and added, "I want to live as I wish, but there's nothing that feels right."
In response to Seo Jang-hoon's question, "Did you let your parents know?" the person stated, "Not long ago. Even though I wanted to live for myself, I still couldn't tell my family," noting, "I told my younger sibling first." They continued, "I got married in the U.S. and lived with my husband for ten years, but we divorced two years ago."
The individual explained that they had many thoughts about not being able to share deep stories about life with their parents since their late 30s. They resolved to come out even if it meant losing their parents, saying, "When I told them, there was chaos. They yelled and cried," and continued, "Last year, the two of us attended the Seoul Queer Parade and met other gay parents. They said to me, 'I didn't know it was this difficult for you to live as a gay person in this world,'" adding, "Since then, I have talked more with my mom and dad," concluding, "I feel much more at ease now."
Seo Jang-hoon replied, "Parents are the hardest wall to overcome," adding, "You've overcome the biggest wall."
Meanwhile, the individual revealed an experience that made them remember Korea after having forgotten about it for so long. They shared that while looking for hair dye methods on YouTube, they stumbled upon K-POP videos. Initially, they felt averse and did not watch them, but when songs from Korea that they listened to as a child played, they listened without realizing it and ended up crying. They mentioned that from that point on, they constantly thought about Korea.
Hearing the story, Seo Jang-hoon expressed, "It's so painful in many ways," and added, "How much have you suffered since childhood? This is not something that can be easily changed by yourself," advising, "If you have a more comfortable mindset, it might be easier to face Korea." Lee Sugeun added, "You being happy is what makes your parents happy."
Finally, the individual asked, "My photo is currently being used in a romance scam," explaining that they want to clarify that they are not the person involved in the scam. Seo Jang-hoon relayed a message to the viewers, saying, "Don't be fooled," and fulfilled their request.
'Ask Anything,' which airs every Monday at 8:30 p.m. on KBS Joy, can be watched on LG U+tv channel 1, Genie tv channel 41, SK Btv channel 53, and the KBS mobile app 'my K.' The channel number for local cable can be verified on the KBS N website.
[Photo] 'Ask Anything'
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