Yu Hyeon-cheol and Kim Seul-ki, three years into their remarriage, candidly revealed the realistic conflicts and moments of crisis they face while living as a blended family.
On the 19th broadcast of tvN STORY 'Lee Ho-seon's counseling center,' the worries of a remarried family made more complicated by having children were made public. I'm SOLO, Love after Divorce through which they met and ultimately married, Yu Hyeon-cheol and Kim Seul-ki appeared and shared their true feelings.
The two are a remarried couple each raising one child. Yu Hyeon-cheol is the father of a 12-year-old daughter, and Kim Seul-ki is raising an 11-year-old son, together forming a blended family.
They said differences in parenting styles in particular led to conflict. Kim Seul-ki said, "The way of disciplining the child was very different," and "My husband tended to give our daughter almost everything she wanted. When I disciplined the child, I sometimes felt like a 'bad stepmother,'" she confessed. She also mentioned that Yu Hyeon-cheol had talked about dividing the family into team A and team B. Kim Seul-ki expressed hurt, saying, "My husband's daughter meets her biological mother every other week, but my son does not have visitation exchanges," and "I wanted him to spend time with the son who was left alone, but he said he felt sorry toward the daughter." When asked directly whether he had used the terms team A and team B, Yu Hyeon-cheol admitted, "Yes."
Kim Seul-ki went on to say, "Unlike when we were dating, I felt I was not loved," and "After remarriage, it seemed the emotional distance had grown." She said the couple also experienced a breakdown in communication. Kim Seul-ki confessed, "The relationship was not good from early 2025," and "For about 10 months we only said what was necessary and hardly talked." Added to this, issues with a male friend strained trust. Yu Hyeon-cheol said, "My wife is the type of person who can have a close male friend, but that is difficult for me," and "I met the male friend in person and was shocked by his overly familiar behavior, like pinching cheeks or interlacing fingers." He also admitted, "I once looked at my wife's phone." In response, Kim Seul-ki said, "Out of frustration I complained to acquaintances and talked about my husband," and "there were even comments like 'If it's going to be like this, living alone would be better.'"
In the end, the matter escalated more than expected. Yu Hyeon-cheol confessed, "When I heard the word divorce, I immediately went to see a lawyer," and "I thought of litigation rather than negotiation." He added, "The sense of betrayal was so great. At the time I thought all the fault lay with my wife." In response, Kim Seul-ki said, "When my husband hired a lawyer, I also immediately looked into one," and she revealed they even considered a countersuit.
Lee Ho-seon analyzed the couple's personality test and explained, "The husband has a strong tendency toward stability, and the wife is relationship-oriented with high energy," adding, "It's a process of two people with different speeds learning each other." He also advised, "It's necessary to sort out how the children are addressed and match wedding rings," and "the stability of being an official family can strengthen the relationship."
At the end of the broadcast, Kim Seul-ki said, "I will not betray you. Let's live loving each other a lot," and Yu Hyeon-cheol also replied, "Thank you," showing his willingness to rebuild the relationship.
[Photo] 'Lee Ho-seon's counseling center'
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