Netizens prove Song Joong Ki’s remark unreasonable by listing out actors who succeeded even after marriage and childbirth
Song Joong Ki’s controversial remark about actors losing jobs after getting married and having children is still a hot topic.
Before his son was born, Song Joong Ki had an interview with the Chinese media Sina and shared his feelings about becoming a father. The actor expressed his excitement, saying “I’ve always dreamed of becoming a father”, but also wondered, “Will I be able to become a good father? My wife and I talk about it a lot, and we believe that we can do it”.
Confessing his worries, Song Joong Ki said, “Sometimes, being a father, being a husband, means lost a job in this showing business. It seems that getting married and having a baby may gradually make me lose many projects”, adding, “I’m not afraid of that. I don’t care about such things. Family is always more important than work. But I love my work, and I always strive for both myself and my family.”
Do marriage and childbirth affect male actors as much as Song Joong Ki said? In Korea, the term “career hiatus” has generally been associated with actresses who go through childbirth and childcare periods. In fact, even actresses who used to be top stars in their young days find it difficult to get a proper role and make a comeback after taking hiatuses for childbirth and childcare.
Popular actresses such as Park Ha Sun, Han Ji Hye, and So Yoo Jin also confessed that they did not receive any acting offer after taking a break to give birth and take care of their children. Appearing on an MBN program in 2020, Han Ji Hye revealed, “Returning after a 2.5-year hiatus, my appearance fee was reduced significantly”. On the same program, So Yoo Jin also confessed, “I cried a lot when receiving an award for my return drama after childbirth. I’m just grateful that they let me work again’”.
On the other hand, male actors rarely get limited in their roles even after childbirth although their fanbase may become smaller. For example, top star Lee Byung Hun showcased excellent acting performance in the drama “Mr. Sunshine” (2018) after marrying actress Lee Min Jung and becoming a father. Known for his versatile characters, actor Hwang Jung Min still acted romance in movies “You Are My Sunshine” (2005), “Happiness” (2007), and KBS2’s drama “The Accidental Couple” (2009) even after getting married.
Hyun Bin, who married actress Son Ye Jin last year and recently welcomed their son, is no different. He worked nonstop on various projects, such as “Confidential Assignment2: International” (2022), “One Point Men”, which was released earlier this year, and “Harbin”, which will premiere soon. “Father” actors Kwon Sang Woo and Park Hae Il are still active in the film industry. In addition, Married actor Min Woo Hyuk recently played unmarried doctor Roy Kim, who falls in love with a married woman named Cha Jung Sook (Um Jung Hwa) in the JTBC drama “Doctor Cha”, and drew favorable reviews from viewers.
If Song Joong Ki’s remark implies a decrease in the size of his fan base, it is hard for the public to understand his excuse. It is true that actors like Bae Yong Joon and Kwon Sang Woo, who were mentioned among the “four great kings” actors in Japan, as well as Kim Hyun Joong, who was called the “Pose Bae Young Joon”, experienced a slight decline in their fan bases after marriage. However, unless actors cause social controversy, it is rare for marriage and childbirth to cause restrictions on their work opportunities. Especially for top stars like Song Joong Ki, who earns around 300 million won per drama episode, it sounds more natural if he says “I can pay for the worries”. Eventually, his statement creates even more obstacles for his career than childbirth and childcare issues.
Source: Nate
