Actor Choi Soo-jong revealed an exceptional side as a "lover."
On the 28th broadcast of KBS1's morning show 'Morning Yard', actor Choi Soo-jong appeared as a guest on the 'With the gossip man' segment.
That day Choi Soo-jong talked about the title "the enemy of husbands in Korea, the nation's lover." Announcer Um Ji-in said she was curious, "When people see it only on TV, many think what Choi Soo-jong does is just for the cameras. I want to check if it's real," and announcer Park Chul-gyu asked, "When you look at his wife Ha Hee-ra, do you still feel fluttery?"
Choi Soo-jong said, "A marital relationship is mutual effort. And to keep the feeling you had at the beginning in this world — we are now at our 34th anniversary. What we've been able to keep until now is mutual effort, consideration, and all these things. It's not just 'I love you' — each should know more about the other, have respect, and have understanding, empathy and communication about each other's work."
Um Ji-in asked, "Did you hold hands and kiss with Ha Hee-ra this morning as well — any skinship today?" and Choi Soo-jong said, "Isn't that totally natural? As a habit, when our family is leaving I hug them, I give Ha Hee-ra one more, and I hug the children too. One more is a kiss," adding, "I do this habitually with friends I meet outside as well," surprising everyone.
Afterward, Park Chul-gyu said, "We've gathered rumors floating around. Please verify whether these are true or not," and Choi Soo-jong looked at a panel printed with Ha Hee-ra's face and marveled, "Wow... as expected!", drawing laughter. Park Chul-gyu asked, "They say Ha Hee-ra still uses honorifics when you two talk," and Choi Soo-jong answered, "That's right. I call her 'Ha Hee-ra.' I say, 'I'm off,' and (Ha Hee-ra) mixes it half and half."
When asked, "Do you use honorifics even when you fight?", he said, "I wonder if that's possible, but we haven't fought. If I say just one word, women become 'outsiders to their natal home,' don't they? When women marry, they have only their husband to rely on. So what women say is simply, 'Please be on my side.' Even when they come home and say, 'I did this and that at home. There was more laundry than yesterday so it was hard,' it's not that the man says, 'I was also tired because I went out' — it's to say, 'You were a bit more tired than yesterday, you worked hard.' It's asking to be on her side. Saying 'I was tired' is saying, 'I want your comfort.'" eliciting cheers from everyone.
Um Ji-in asked, "Is it true that even now when Ha Hee-ra goes out and uses the restroom you carry her bag and wait in front of the restroom?", and Choi Soo-jong said, "From the moment we step outside, I carry the bag. Women's handbags are surprisingly heavy. They carry a lot. So carrying the handbag and waiting at the restroom is totally natural," he said.
When asked, "If you were born again, would you marry Ha Hee-ra?", he replied, "There is no being born again, but even if there were, there is so much I couldn't do for her. I didn't take her to many famous restaurants. In those moments I always feel sorry. Next time I hope to live simply but still take her to many places — I always say that," and Um Ji-in asked, "When you say that, does Ha Hee-ra say, 'If I'm born again, I'd marry Soo-jong'?," to which Choi Soo-jong immediately replied, "Of course," drawing agreement.
On questions about household chores, Choi Soo-jong said, "I do a lot. In the early newlywed days Ha Hee-ra once cut her finger while chopping something. So from then on I do the cutting when cooking. I fold the laundry that comes out of the washer. Ha Hee-ra says I could survive until the end. She says I could even be hired as a costume shop employee," demonstrating his practical skills on the spot.
Um Ji-in asked, "Is your heart still the same as when you first met?", and Choi Soo-jong said, "Mutual effort is necessary. When I wake up earlier in the morning I watch her sleeping. I think, 'I must stay healthy. If this person gets even a little sick later, who will put ointment on her back? Who will apply body cream?' — I watch thinking that."
He described their first meeting: "I first saw Ha Hee-ra passing by at the KBS annex, as an actress. That was when 'Love is a blossoming tree' was airing, so Ha Hee-ra was a high school student. She was so pretty — she seemed to glow. 'March of Youth' came in with a new MC, and at first I asked who the double MC would be because I didn't have the knack for hosting, and they said it was Ha Hee-ra. She agreed. That's how it happened," he said. When asked about Shin Ae-ra connecting them, he said, "Shin Ae-ra knew I liked Ha Hee-ra. There was a day the recording schedules matched. If I said let's have a cup of tea and called Shin Ae-ra, she would bring Ha Hee-ra. She acted like a bridge."
[Photo] KBS1
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