A March 2 episode of KBS2’s “Malja Show,” a special focused on family breadwinners, featured guests sharing concerns carried by those who have long supported their families.
Kim introduced what the program described as a common worry among breadwinners: “As a child, I was a devoted son to my parents, and after marriage, a father to my children. I’ve carried burdens my whole life. When will I be able to put them down and rest?”
She said the idea of a breadwinner has changed. “These days, times have changed, so there’s no gender for the head of the household,” she said. She added that her husband, a baseball player who was released, met her while preparing for a career change.
Kim said her husband later received an offer to become a university coach but turned it down. “If it were me, I would have learned on the job,” she said, adding that he refused, saying, “It’s not my place,” and that she felt devastated at the time.
She also described a dispute tied to a move shortly after giving birth, saying they had to move three days after delivery and nearly lost the contract deposit. Kim said she completed preparations and then went to a postpartum care center. The remaining balance was to be covered by a loan in her husband’s name because his credit was better, she said, but he secretly borrowed 3 million won as a gift for her after the birth of their first child, lowering his credit score.
Kim said there is no need to divide who is the breadwinner. “These days, anyone can be the head of the household,” she said, advising breadwinners to ease some of their burden by taking pride in the fact that the money they earn helps feed their families.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.