Song Joong Ki Angers Netizens After “Insensitive” Comment About Parenthood And Losing Jobs

Actor Song Joong Ki recently welcomed his new baby. The birth was met with congratulations from all around the world. He shared a photo of the baby’s tiny hand on his fancafe.

While many were delighted to hear about his baby’s healthy birth, a recent interview he gave in China rubbed some the wrong way.

송중기 중국 인터뷰

“아버지가 되고 남편이 된다는 건 이 연예계에서 일자리를 잃는다는 걸 의미한다.”

?????
언제부터 남자연예인이 결혼출산으로 배우일에 타격받았지……?

댓글에 해외팬들 한국 엄청 욕하네… pic.twitter.com/7TT8LvZni4

— 엑소컴백????7월10일 (@doldolgyeol) June 10, 2023

The following question had been posed to him.

Your movie has been premiered at Cannes, while your baby is on the way. The Chinese have this saying, “a double harvest in work and family life.” What do you think about the relationship between the two?

— Interviewer

In response, Song Joong Ki explained that with his new status as a husband and father, it was inevitable that his work would be affected. He expressed his thoughts in English

Sometimes, being a father, being a husband, that means losing a job in this business. Being a father and having a baby, and a marriage with a woman, in this business, sometimes, it looks like [I’m] losing my job more and more.

— Song Joong Ki

While he did not have malicious intent, the public is riled up, citing that he was not the one who gave birth to the child. It is a well-known fact that mothers who give birth to and carry a child, suffer physically during and after pregnancy.

• He’s so full of it. He sucks.
• The fact that it’s a male actor saying this, not even a female actor LOL. Even if his fans drop, his jobs won’t be affected.
• Won’t offers for romance flicks decrease? Anyway, he’s an actor that used to do many romance genres, but I think it lessened after his marriage. He probably felt it himself, and that’s why he said that…
• Did he personally give birth?
• What about Song Kang Ho then? And what about all the sex criminals that are still crawling out everywhere?
• ??
• A male actor is saying this, not even a male idol?

To understand the Korean entertainment industry, many apply stricter conditions when it comes to dating, marriage, and babies to idols rather than actors. Similarly, many female celebrities, and regular workers, are severely affected after starting a family or getting married. It is widely thought in South Korea that a woman with a family will drop in work efficiency.

On the other hand, men are spared from this bias. They are even awarded more work and promotions on occasion in order to “feed the family.” Song Joong Ki’s comment may be construed by the public as insensitive to the many women facing difficulties in the work force.