Model and broadcaster Lee Hyun shared her challenging yet inspiring journey of becoming a 'working mom' after marriage, childbirth, and parenting.
On the 13th, a new episode titled 'The struggles of dual-income couples! The law of division of labor without touching each other, the world of couples we've never seen before' was released on K.Will's YouTube channel 'Sister-in-law is K.Will.'
In the video, Lee Hyun conveyed her current status as a working mom, from her debut as a model to her surprise marriage announced at 29, the change in her career after her first pregnancy, and her husband's full support.
Lee Hyun's modeling career was smooth. She debuted at 23, built her portfolio within a year, and from 24 to 28, she worked abroad, including in New York, as a key figure in Korea's fashion revival. However, when she declared her marriage at 29, she faced opposition from her agency. Although the agency persuaded her husband, Lee Hyun said, 'My mind was made up,' and chose to get married.
Lee Hyun's career, which had even considered retirement, took a new direction when she became pregnant with her first child. She recalled, 'With advertisements for maternity products coming in, my career changed commercially.' Lee Hyun expressed, 'There was no option not to get married in my life. While marriage is important, having a child is even more crucial.'
However, the path as a working mom was not smooth. Early in their marriage, her husband, who is a year older, did not understand Lee Hyun's struggles. After filming, when she lay on the bed feeling exhausted, he asked, 'What's so hard about just sitting and chatting?' They experienced conflicts but gradually got to know each other better through conversations, ultimately growing more mature while filming 'Same Bed, Different Dreams - You Are My Destiny' together.
Her husband's understanding led to active support. When Lee Hyun felt overwhelmed balancing parenting and work, he encouraged her by saying, 'You can do it.' Currently, thanks to her husband, who is a graduate student with more free time, they are able to care for the children together with a sitter. Lee Hyun expressed her gratitude, saying, 'Thanks to my husband's consideration, I can work as a working mom.' Her children are growing up smartly, bonding with their dad despite their mother's absence, and seeking her out when they need care.
With her husband's consideration and support, Lee Hyun is currently active as a host on MBN's 'Sokpul Show Dongchimi' and SBS's 'Golddalring Geunyeoreul' (hereafter referred to as 'Golddalnyeo'). Regarding 'Golddalnyeo,' she humorously confessed, 'I've lost my toenails four times, but I'm eligible for industrial injury insurance through SBS.' She added, 'If I had thought of it only as work, I wouldn't have reached this level. Having my team gives me more passion.' She particularly noted that her second son believes that his mother Lee Hyun is a soccer player, not a model, which brought smiles.
As a working mom, connecting with her children was also essential. Lee Hyun is applying the lessons learned from her challenging teenage experiences (like getting hit with a watermelon by her mother and being sent to the dormitory) to parenting. She expressed her hope that her children would 'pursue what they love,' while pointing out that parents often 'struggle to accept their child's ordinariness.' Lee Hyun advised, 'If you start thinking of them as ordinary children, you won't get angry, and you will see them as they are.'
[OSEN]