Actor Ko So-young shares parenting views, says her kids rarely attend cram schools

Actor Ko So-young speaks about her family life and her husband Jang Dong-gun on a YouTube channel. Captured from Hong Jin-kyung’s YouTube channel

Actor Ko So-young opened up about her family life and parenting approach, sharing that she values a healthy, balanced upbringing for her children over academic achievement.

In a video released Saturday on TV personality Hong Jin-kyung’s YouTube channel, Ko said, “Family is the most important thing. For me, the children’s well-being comes before academic success. After that comes our dog. I haven’t really thought beyond that.”

When Hong asked why “work” didn’t come up on her list of priorities, Ko said, “My career used to be important, but after living as a mother, I found myself fading into the background. It got to a point where I wasn’t in a position to pursue my work. I felt myself becoming more distant from the public, which is why I decided to launch my own channel.”

Ko also shared her experience of returning to media activities after a long hiatus. “It feels like I’ve been away for too long. I’m not even sure if I’m doing things right anymore — the industry has changed so much from when we were active,” she said. “When my kids were younger, they were completely attached to me. They used to cry and cling to me whenever I left, even falling asleep on my stomach. But now, they tell me, ‘Go to work, Mom.’ I joked with them, saying, ‘I’m too old for that now.’”

Reflecting on her past fame, Ko revealed that her children don’t quite believe how well-known their parents were. “Back in the day, when I walked through Cheongdam-dong, there were huge posters of me and their dad,” she said. “But the kids don’t believe it. When someone occasionally asks their dad for an autograph, they’ll suddenly come over and grab his hand. I guess they’re proud in their own way.”

Actor Ko So-young shares a story about attending Lee Byung-hun’s film premiere. Captured from Hong Jin-kyung's YouTube channel

Ko also recounted a moment involving her husband, actor Jang Dong-gun, and fellow actor Lee Byung-hun.

“My husband recently attended Lee’s movie premiere. When the kids were younger, they didn’t recognize him, but after seeing ‘Squid Game,’ they were like, ‘We want to see Uncle Byung-hun!’ So I took them to the premiere,” she said.

“My husband, a bit wistfully, said, ‘Since I don’t get much attention as an actor these days, I should at least do things like this for them.’ I laughed and told him, ‘Oh, come on, honey.’”

The actor, who is raising two children, described her daily routine as simple and family-centered. “I wake up at 7:30 a.m., send the kids off to school, then go for a workout or take a walk. The kids come home around 3 p.m., and I get their snacks ready,” she said.

When asked whether she drives her children to after-school hagwon (cram schools), Ko replied, “They hardly go to hagwon. I used to send them to many, but they would always get distracted. Right before entering class, they’d stop by a convenience store and buy snacks. I’d get the credit card alert and think, ‘Why is my kid buying something at this time?’”

She added, “When they come home around 3 p.m. and open the door saying, ‘Where’s Mom?’ I try to proudly say, ‘Ta-da!’ I make an effort to be there and show them my face. My mom was a stay-at-home parent, too, and maybe because of that memory, I’ve always felt that at least one of us should be at home. I try to be there when the kids are around.”

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.