Actor Jin Tae-hyun opens up about adopting 3 adult daughters

Actor Jin Tai-hyun and his wife, actress Park Si-eun / Captured from Jin’s social media

Actor Jin Tai-hyun has addressed public curiosity over why he and his wife, actress Park Si-eun, chose to adopt adult daughters, saying that sharing life together means more than providing simple financial support.

Jin shared a screenshot of a social media comment about adoption culture Tuesday. The commenter expressed hope that the couple’s example would help normalize adoption in Korea, writing that “Confucian values emphasizing bloodlines and family heritage still act as major barriers to adoption,” and suggesting that “offering parental support without formal legal adoption could also help expand the culture of care.”

Jin responded, “That’s exactly the path my wife and I want to follow. Sharing meals and living as a family feels like true giving, not just financial sponsorship.”

Addressing criticism that the couple only adopted adults, he added, “Why only adults? Why not just sponsor them instead? I think those small but negative thoughts are what make our society the way it is.”

He continued, “Sharing life, spending time together and welcoming someone into our home is more meaningful than any grand donation or sponsorship. And we’re already doing our best to help others in that way.”

Concluding his post, Jin reflected on his past, saying, “We just want to live rightly. In my youth, I lived poorly, foolishly and with shame, so now I want to live helping others.”

He added, “Instead of showing off our house, luxury goods or money, I want to take pride in my wife, neighbors and family — because that’s the only real wealth I have.”

Jin married Park in 2015, and the couple have since adopted three daughters. He recently revealed he has been battling thyroid cancer, receiving an outpouring of public support.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.