As the Director General of the "birth correspondent" team who played a major role in the regular scheduling of "Our Baby Was Born Again," Park Soo-hong expressed confidence in the program, saying, "There are not many programs that include entertainment, education, emotion and information all together, but on 'Uagi' you will be able to feel all the joys and sorrows of life."
On the TV CHOSUN regular season of "Our Baby Was Born Again (directed by Lee Seung-hoon and Kim Jun, writer Jang Joo-yeon, hereafter Uagi)," Park Soo-hong, who had acted as the "safe delivery fairy" since the pilot, stepped up as the Director General of the "birth correspondent" team. Joining Kim Jong-min, Jang Seo-hee, Kim Chan-woo, Sayuri and Son Min-su as "birth correspondents," Park Soo-hong, who will experience even more diverse birth scenes, said, "As a father of a 10-month-old daughter, I know how precious and miraculous the moment of birth is," and expressed his pleasure at being part of the journey to visit birth sites. Park Soo-hong, who watched the birth of his precious daughter "Jae-i" in person and cried as he shared his wife's pain, mentioned plans for a second child, saying, "My wife brought up the idea of a second child." Still, he showed caution, saying, "Right now I'm very worried about my wife." Although Park Soo-hong is an experienced parent, he said that while working on Uagi he is still learning new things he didn't know. The following is a Q&A with Park Soo-hong, now happily spending his days as Jae-i's father and a "parenting master."
1. Please give one comment about joining 'Uagi.'
As a father of a 10-month-old daughter, I know how precious and miraculous the moment of birth is, so I am happier and prouder than anyone to be part of a program that conveys that moment vividly.
2. You are an experienced birth witness who watched a birth up close. Could you share your experience? I'm curious what emotions you felt.
Watching my wife give birth, I felt not just pity but a deep sense of apology. Others will have their own stories, but my wife had to undergo in vitro fertilization because of me. I used to have a dog named "Dahong," and I once wrote in a diary-like note that I wanted to meet the Dahong who was born as a person again and that it would be nice if Dahong had a sibling. My wife wanted to give me hope in life and chose IVF. Watching her give birth, I felt grateful to her and thought I should take care of her for the rest of my life. I have respect and admiration not only for my wife but for all mothers and women in Korea and around the world who go through hardship. At the time my head was spinning, and I only realized the depth of my feelings when I watched the video. I remember feeling indescribably happy, to the point that tears flowed endlessly and I couldn't control my emotions.
3. You visited other people's birth scenes rather than your own. Were there episodes that differed from your experience or changed your thinking?
I met my daughter Jae-i by cesarean section. At the time my wife had gestational diabetes and was not well, and her weight had increased by about 40kg. The baby was also large at 3.76kg, so we had no choice but to choose a cesarean section. But while visiting birth sites, I realized I didn't know there were so many different ways to give birth. Among natural births there are water births and various delivery methods. There are also old-fashioned methods, and seeing many of those changed my thinking. I thought, 'It wouldn't be bad to look for a birth method that suits me,' and 'If that chance comes again, my wife and I could discuss trying different delivery methods, even having the baby at home.'
4. Because birth doesn't happen at a set time, you probably have to stay on edge. How are you preparing for filming?
For cesarean sections they give a schedule a few days in advance, but natural births are completely unpredictable, so we literally wait on 'five-minute standby.' I've run out in the middle of the night, and there were times when I thought, 'It's not coming now,' drove home, then turned the car around and went back to meet the baby... In short, this program gives me many experiences. For filming preparation, I make every possible ready-made arrangement to respond immediately, and I always keep my phone on my person, close to my ear.
5. This season of 'Uagi' will cover even more mothers, families and situations. What are you personally most excited or looking forward to?
Depending on the mother, there are really many variables, and meeting multiple births feels different. There is the wish that they come out safely and healthily, the excitement, and then after the baby is born, concerns about whether the baby's breathing is okay... Those are the most tense and proud moments. On our show I was present for the births of triplets and quadruplets, and those were the most thrilling, worrisome and anticipatory moments.
6. Because the process of a new life being born is never light or easy, people may develop fear of childbirth. As an experienced birth witness participating in 'Uagi,' what are your thoughts about having a second child?
My wife had a very hard time giving birth to our first child, Jae-i. I remember her going alone to the postpartum care center and tearfully saying she couldn't feed the colostrum, so because of her health I hadn't been thinking about another child. But recently my wife mentioned a second child. We have healthy embryos frozen, so the future is unknown, but right now my concern for my wife is greater, so I don't know whether we will meet Jae-i's sibling. But if we think about it enough and live more diligently, who knows what will happen. At the moment, my worry for my wife is too big for me to be thinking about it.
7. If you were to describe 'Uagi' in one sentence, how would you express it? You may also point out key viewing points.
It could be described as 'no need to be scared or fearful,' 'a program that delivers vivid scenes as they are,' or 'we were all born like this.' It's the most alive and vivid program in Korean history. I can say with certainty that for those who will give birth or meet a baby, this will provide more living information than a typical consumer information show.
8. What do you want viewers of 'Uagi' to know about childbirth or this program?
Viewers encounter many programs, but there are not many that include entertainment, education, emotion and information all together. Watching this program, you will be able to feel all the joys and sorrows of life, and it will be a program where you can broadly look at the importance of family, the meaning a child gives, the mindset and preparation as parents, the mystery of life, reminders of being a low-birthrate country, and support measures for parents giving birth. I think it's a program that carries meaning about the lives we face as we become more nuclear-family oriented.
[Photo] Provided by TV CHOSUN
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