Singer Kim Jaejoong was left speechless upon hearing shocking family history for the first time.
On the afternoon of the 19th, KBS2 variety show Stars' Top Recipe at Fun-Staurant aired an "mom's hands special" prepared for the upcoming national holiday Chuseok.
Kim Jaejoong's father was born with a silver spoon and did well running a transportation business. In his 20s he owned several hundred suits and wore sunglasses, living a youth without want. The father said, "He was the richest person in Cheongyang at the time." After courting and marrying, Kim Jaejoong's parents enjoyed smooth years through the early 1980s, but after going into a gas station business with acquaintances they failed and fell under debts of hundreds of millions of won.
Regarding this, Kim Jaejoong's mother said, "Your father was born with a silver spoon and lived well, but after his business failed he developed hwabyeong, depression and mental disturbance. He went through many turbulent events and faced death many times," adding, "Actually I never talked about this in my life, but when the gas station business failed spiritual possession came. A shinnalim, a spiritual illness came. Because he kept refusing the spiritual calling, he acted like a truly crazy person; people around him called it mental illness. I didn't tell you children, but a monk told me to have him stabilize at the temple, so I sent him to the temple," she said, surprising those around her.
Recalling the time, the father said, "I went to the temple, had my hair shaved and lived like a monk," while also saying, "My mind just flipped. Everyone said I was crazy. Like a madman I couldn't even recognize people around me; they called me nuts. My mind went out," he said. Son Kim Jaejoong, hearing the shocking family history for the first time, said in surprise, "I am hearing this story for the first time, too."
Left alone to support nine siblings, the mother said, "When I think about it now I couldn't even die if I wanted to; the children weren't one or two but many. If the children said, 'Mom, give me food, I'm hungry,' what could I do? I couldn't steal, so I had to do something to feed them," adding, "I sold ginseng door to door and sold snacks; someone bought tangerines at auction to resell, and they told me to move aside. The stall fee was nothing short of harsh. I was spreading ginseng to sell when my husband came. He said, 'Let's go eat a hot bowl of gukbap, you must be having a hard time in this cold.' That was the moment that moved me most. That was the only time. I vividly remember when he said let's eat a bowl of gukbap. Even without much, I felt my husband cared for me," she said, shedding tears.
Kim Jaejoong said, "I should bring tissues," and with watery eyes added, "Seeing my mother cry since morning made my emotions surge." The mother recalled, "I suffered too much. Living with my husband I really suffered a lot." The father added, "I made my wife suffer a lot. I still feel guilty. I am a sinner."
As head of the household, Kim Jaejoong's mother became responsible for the livelihoods of nine siblings. Thinking the fastest way to earn money was restaurant work, she began working at a restaurant run by her sister-in-law. The restaurant sold jokbal, barley rice and sujebi, and she learned every menu item herself. Later, due to health issues the sister-in-law entrusted the restaurant to the mother, and over time she inherited it.
Kim Jaejoong's mother explained, "Business was dead at the restaurant until the police station ordered jokbal delivery, and we served kimchijeon as a free side dish; from the next day the detective in charge brought all his team members," and as word spread the restaurant became known as a favorite among Gongju city officials. With monthly sales of 30 to 40 million won, the restaurant cleared 100 million won in debt within a year of operation. Using barley rice, jokbal and kimchijeon, the household paid off its debts of 100 million won.
Kim Jaejoong exclaimed, "Wow, amazing, mom," and the mother said, "Because of that my body is all worn out now." Kim Jaejoong also said, "When they tore down the house we used to live in and built a new two-story house, my father cried watching the house being demolished," and the father said, "They were tears of emotion," adding, "I really have nothing to say to my wife. I feel like such a sinner. That's why I always say it: if you, Yu Man-soon, hadn't existed, Kim Bong-hyeon would not have existed in this world," expressing gratitude.
[Photo] Screenshot from Stars' Top Recipe at Fun-Staurant broadcast
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