Should Song Joong Ki be criticized for worrying about career hiatus after becoming a father?

Korean media discuss whether Song Joong Ki’s controversial remark about losing his job after having children really absurd.

Five months after announcing his marriage and his wife Katy’s premarital pregnancy in January, Song Joong Ki delivered the news of his son recently born in Rome. Despite all the controversies, the actors still receive warm congratulations from the public.

In an interview with the Chinese media Sina that took place before Katy gave birth to their son, Song Joong Ki confessed, “Sometimes, being a father, being a husband, means lost a job in this showing business”, adding “It seems that getting married and having a baby may gradually make me lose many projects”.

However, he firmly said, “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.”

Song Joong Ki seemed to have been so eager to express his love for his family in anticipation of his wife’s childbirth. However, it is not easy for everyone to empathize with the idea that becoming a father will gradually lead to losing jobs.

From Song Joong Ki’s perspective, he may have had such worries because some idol singers did face criticism for not being considerate of fans and getting married due to premarital pregnancy at a young age in their 20s. However, in Song Joong Ki’s case, he is not an idol singer but a top actor in his late 30s whose marriage was congratulated by the public. Therefore, many people may find it hard to sympathize with his concerns about career hiatus at this point.

In Korean society, career breaks due to childbirth and childcare are often considered the role of women. When a couple gets married and has a child, most women, as mothers, tend to quit their jobs to raise the child. It is worth considering how the interview answer of Song Joong Ki, who is embracing the joy of becoming a father, will be interpreted by other actresses and female stars or any women in Korean society who have experienced marriage and childbirth.

Source: Daum