Lee Sang-min introduces wife for first time on TV, opens up about IVF journey
Lee Sang-min introduces his wife for the first time on SBS’ “My Little Old Boy.” Captured from SBS
TV personality Lee Sang-min introduced his wife to the public for the first time on SBS’ variety show "My Little Old Boy," which aired Saturday.
Lee, 50, revealed that he and his wife, who is 10 years younger, registered their marriage in April after a brief courtship. This marked the first public appearance of his wife, whose identity had been kept private until now.
In the episode, the couple was seen holding hands in the car and chatting affectionately. Wearing a face mask, Lee's wife received praise from the show's hosts. “Her eyes are so beautiful,” said Shin Dong-yup, while Seo Jang-hoon noted, “I’ve only seen her in photos until now.”
Shin emphasized that even Lee's close friends had not met his wife, as the couple opted not to hold a wedding ceremony.
Lee asked his wife about the reaction from people around her following news of their marriage. “It was wild,” she said. “You uploaded our wedding announcement on social media, and some people screenshotted it and sent it to me faster than I could see it myself.”
When Lee jokingly asked if anyone had questioned her decision with a “Are you crazy?” reaction, she laughed and said, “No. Maybe if I were in my 20s, someone might have said that. But I’m in my 40s — nobody reacted like that. People already had a good impression of you even before we met.”
She added candidly, “I’m very firm in my opinions. You even said it must be tough for you,” to which Lee responded, “That decisiveness is what drew me to you. No matter how hard things were, you’d calmly give me an answer. You felt more mature than me.”
Lee Sang-min visits hospital with wife on SBS’ “My Little Old Boy.” Captured from SBS
Later, the couple visited a fertility clinic for an IVF (in vitro fertilization) procedure. “My sperm and your egg met and fertilized,” Lee said. “Now we just need implantation. At our age, I’m just grateful we’ve come this far.”
The doctor shared that Lee’s sperm motility had improved to 40 percent, up from 15 percent, and that his wife’s ovarian age was 40. While noting the increased likelihood of twins due to the two embryos being transferred, the doctor also said disappointing news, the latest attempt had not resulted in a pregnancy.
“The blood test result came back at 0.2, far below the normal threshold of 50,” the doctor said.
Lee’s wife recalled symptoms she had experienced after the transfer. “For about five days, I was really sensitive, even brushing my chest hurt. Then one day, everything just felt normal again, and I thought, maybe it didn’t work,” she said.
The doctor advised them to rest for a month before attempting another round, offering encouragement by noting other patients had found success after several tries.
Outside the exam room, Lee comforted his wife, asking if she had been about to cry. She admitted feeling emotional, saying, “I think I’m too old to get pregnant.” Lee responded, “You don’t even look like you're in your early 30s. I know this is hard. What else can we do but keep trying?”
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, a sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.