A South Korean actor’s revelation that he fathered a child with a woman he is not married to has sparked a nationwide debate about celebrity behavior and non-traditional family structures.
Jung Woo-sung, 51, an A-lister in the South Korean film industry, confirmed through his agency on Sunday that he is the father of model Moon Ga-bi, 35’s newborn son.
While Jung promised to “fulfill his responsibilities” as a father, his silence that he plans to marry Moon led to strong attacks in a conservative country where births out of wedlock are seen as undesirable.
But some progressive voices have defended Jung, noting a shift in South Korea’s attitude toward diverse family structures.
Moon announced the birth of her child on Instagram on Friday, without mentioning the father, describing the pregnancy as “unexpected” and saying she was “not ready for unexpected news”.
Two days later, Jung’s agency The Artist Company released a statement confirming that “baby Nyanga revealed on social media is Jung Woo-sung’s son”.
The statement also noted that Jung and Moon were “discussing the best way to raise the child”.
It sparked outrage that quickly spread across the country, sparking a flurry of opinion in the tabloids, sparking online debate and prompting comments from national politicians.
Online, the response has been particularly critical of Jung, whose extensive film work has made him famous in South Korea.
Many commentators seem to believe that the actress has tarnished her clean image, with others expressing dismay that the former ambassador of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees “can’t accept her own child”.
“Jung Woo-sung pretends to be a good guy who says he will fulfill all his duties… A child does not grow up with money alone,” wrote one commenter on Naver News, South Korea’s largest news site.
“It is not a problem to be single after having a child. That he has been pretending to be a good person until now,” wrote another.
Speaking to conservative news agency JoongAng, an unnamed representative from the opposition People Power Party described Jung’s decision to have a child out of wedlock as “unthinkable in this world of public affairs”.
“No matter how much times change, Korean culture and public sentiment must be kept (correct),” the lawyer said.
A recent social survey by South Korea’s statistics agency found that 37% of people believe it is acceptable to have a child outside of marriage – an increase of almost 15% since 2012.
Of those who say marriage is necessary, more than 72% are over 60 – and younger respondents are less likely to take that view.
Other lawmakers defended Jung, with Lee So-young, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, saying “deciding to live with someone is a deeply personal and existential decision”.
“To think that just having a child obligates people to get married and do social work and support each other feels oppressive,” Lee wrote on Facebook on Tuesday.
“Yes, there is nothing wrong with being ‘normal’… [But] even if society seems to have a ‘normal’ standard, every life is different in its own way.
“Perhaps a better society is one that accepts and respects such differences without judgment,” he added. “That’s what I believe.”
Kyunghyang, a major progressive newspaper, released an editorial noting that while some voices have pushed for traditional values, “the rising voice is one that our society must think about in the various situations that families take”.
“It makes one hope that celebrities who have children out of wedlock, like Jung and Moon, will help change public opinion, which today is controversial. [such] born.”
South Korea has a high-pressure, high-pressure entertainment industry, with celebrities often held to extremely high standards and scrutinized.
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