On the 15th episode aired, KBS Joy "Ask Anything" episode 333 featured an international couple worried about public attention because of a 17-year age difference who appeared as contributors.
The protagonists of the story were a 43-year-old Korean man and a 26-year-old Taiwanese woman, who first met on the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage in Spain. They grew close as friends while walking together on a journey of about 800 km over roughly 34 days, and even after the pilgrimage ended they continued traveling together and developed special feelings. The man, who returned to Korea first, said he received a message from the woman saying, "When I go to Korea I will stay at your house."
However, the man confessed, "In Spain my nickname was 'yangabeoji' (foster father). Because I was in a caretaking role, I agonized over whether I should accept her as a friend or see her as a woman." He also said the man was the one who confessed first, and Seo Jang-hoon reacted with disbelief, saying, "You said you were worried, but you quickly confessed first?" Lee Sugeun playfully replied, "The worry was only brief," turning the set into a sea of laughter.
The biggest concern during their relationship was, as expected, other people's attention. The man recounted an awkward experience, saying, "We went to eat tteokbokki together and the owner grandmother said, 'Your daughter is very pretty.'" He said the video of that moment was posted on social media and went viral, drawing hundreds of malicious comments, which drew sympathy.
But the woman took a calm attitude, saying, "In Taiwan people don't pay much attention to age differences." When Seo Jang-hoon asked how her parents felt about her boyfriend, she honestly replied, "My mother likes him but my father doesn't," evoking laughter. The hosts lightened the mood, saying, "Fathers usually don't like their daughter's boyfriend," and added a compliment, saying, "The man has the vibe of a Greater China actor."
The core of the story was the two people's views on marriage. The man clearly intended to marry, but the woman said, "I'm still young and there are many things I want to do," and said she would like to marry around 30. Seo Jang-hoon offered practical advice, saying, "In four years the man will be 47. There's no guarantee the woman will get married, so he has to decide for himself whether he can handle it." He added, "If you can continue dating without regrets even if you don't get married, keep seeing each other; if not, you need to seriously consider it now."
Lee Sugeun offered warm encouragement for the couple's future, saying, "If they are happy together today and tomorrow, how could you not choose this man?"
Ask Anything, which airs every Monday at 8:30 p.m. on KBS Joy, can be viewed on LG U+ tv channel 1, Genie tv channel 41, SK Btv channel 53, and the KBS mobile app my K, and regional cable channel numbers can be checked on the KBS N website.
[Photo] "Ask Anything"
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