One Of The Biggest Korean Veteran Actresses Support Of Her Gay Son Regains Attention After SNS Post Goes Viral
Recently, the topic of top veteran actress Youn Yuh Jung gained attention among k-netizens considering how conservative South Korea is!
Recently, Yale University psychiatry professor Na Jong Ho, who became known in Korea after appearing on tvN’s You Quiz on the Block, sent a message of support to actress Youn Yuh Jung (77) after she publicly spoke about her son’s sexual identity.
Recently, Professor Na wrote on his personal account, “If I had to pick the most courageous celebrity in Korea, without hesitation, I would choose Hong Seok Cheon. The fact that no other famous celebrity has followed his path since he came out in 2000 proves just how difficult it is.”
He continued, “As Youn Yuh Jung said, Korean society is very conservative. From the perspective of someone living in the U.S., it might not seem like a big deal. But for someone living within that society, navigating those social norms, it can require tremendous courage. That’s why I pay my respects.”
Na shared a screenshot of Youn Yuh Jung’s appearance on You Quiz, where she said:
“No one has the right to judge anyone else. No one.”
Earlier, in interviews with U.S. media outlets Variety and People ahead of the release of her new Hollywood film The Wedding Banquet, Youn Yuh Jung had opened up about her son’s sexuality.
She said, “Korea is a conservative country. People there never reveal that they’re gay, not even to their parents. But my eldest son is gay, and I shared my experience with him through this film.”
Youn originally planned to play the mother in the film, but because the actor cast as her son was too young, she asked the director to change her role to the grandmother.
“I told the director, ‘This will allow us to show a deeper family history,’” she said, adding, “I think the change turned out well in the end.”
She also revealed, “This project is deeply personal for me. I talked to director Andrew about this, and we wrote the dialogue for the grandson together. It was based on my own experience. My character tells her grandson, ‘No matter who you are, you’re still my grandson.’ That line was taken directly from my real life. I hope it can offer comfort to others.”
Youn’s eldest son came out in 2000 and held a wedding when same-sex marriage was legalized in New York. She said she loves her son’s partner—her “son-in-law”—even more than her son.
However, Youn added, “I don’t know what kind of reaction I’ll face when I return to Korea. They might throw books at me.”
What are your thoughts on this?
Source: (A)
