"Ask Us Anything Fortune Teller" A 40-something gay participant confessed about the pain he experienced in Korea.
On the afternoon of 4th, the 327th episode of the cable channel KBS Joy's "Ask Us Anything Fortune Teller" featured a participant who works as a pilot in the United States.
The participant stated that he left Korea for Canada during high school and revealed that he is currently a dual citizen living in the United States. He further explained, "I left Korea because I had painful experiences there, but even though I am living comfortably now in the United States, I cannot overcome the sadness and hatred I felt in Korea. I feel like I have lived wrongly and came to ask what to do."
When Lee Sugeun asked if the difficult experiences in Korea during high school influenced his decision to emigrate, the participant responded affirmatively, saying, "I was teased a lot for being feminine since I was young, bullied, beaten, and lived like that without friends."
He confessed that he is gay and revealed that after facing ridicule by peers when his first boyfriend dated him in the 2nd year of high school, he told himself, "I don't think I can live well in Korea. Please send me abroad," which led to his departure from Korea.
The participant said, "At first, when I went to Canada, I hated the 'Korea' itself, so I completely discarded all my old memories: graduation albums, cassette tapes, CDs. I did not meet any Koreans at all."
Seo Jang-hoon responded, saying, "It makes sense that since you were in so much pain while in Korea, you tried to erase all memories of it—by not using the Korean language and not meeting any Koreans, which could have resulted in your language skills being like this." He showed understanding of the participant's poor Korean.
When Lee Sugeun asked how life in Canada was, the participant replied, "It was not easy. I came out at church and was kicked out," and added, "I can live as I want, and that's fine."
In response to Seo Jang-hoon's question about whether he had disclosed this to his parents, the participant said, "It hasn't been long. Even though I said I would live for myself proudly, I couldn't bring myself to tell my family," adding, "I told my younger brother first." He continued, "I got married in the United States and lived with my husband for 10 years before divorcing 2 years ago."
The participant explained that from his late 30s, he had many thoughts about not being able to share deep stories about his life with his parents. He resolved to come out even if it meant losing them, saying, "I told them, and there was chaos. They screamed and cried," further sharing, "Last year, the two of us attended the Seoul Queer Parade and met other gay parents; one of them told me, 'I didn't know you had such a hard time living in this world as a gay person.'" He noted that since then, he has communicated more with his mom and dad, stating, "My heart has eased a lot."
In response, Seo Jang-hoon said, "Parents are the hardest wall to overcome," adding, "You've overcome the biggest wall."
Meanwhile, the participant revealed an experience that made him recall Korea after having forgotten about it for a long time. He said that while searching for hair dye techniques on YouTube, he stumbled upon K-POP videos. Initially, he felt averse and didn't watch them, but when he heard a Korean song he used to listen to as a child, he found himself listening without realizing it and started to cry. He stated that from that moment, he began to think about Korea again.
After hearing the story, Seo Jang-hoon expressed, "It hurts in many ways," and remarked, "How much have you suffered since childhood? This is not something one can easily change like it's their choice." He advised, "If you have a more relaxed attitude, it might become easier to face Korea." Lee Sugeun added, "You must be happy for your parents to be happy."
Lastly, the participant requested, "My photo is currently being used in a romance scam," wanting to clarify that he is not the person involved in the scam. Seo Jang-hoon conveyed to the viewers, "Don't be deceived," and complied with his request.
[Photo] KBS Joy broadcast screen capture.
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