Bae Ki-sung and Lee Eun-bi, who married in 2017, opened up with an R-rated, 19+ conversation.
On the 9th episode of TV Chosun’s variety series Joseon's Sweethearts, the couple surprised one another with Valentine’s Day gestures. Bae invited his 30-year friend Yoon Jung-soo and Yoon’s wife, Won Jin-seo, and treated them to a restorative feast, setting a warm, convivial tone. Yoon, who’d recently celebrated his birthday, proudly showed off a gold necklace his in-laws had given him, explaining his mother-in-law bought it earlier in the year and the rise in gold prices had made him beam.
In a playful moment, Lee Eun-bi plucked an abalone from Bae Ki-sung’s mouth and ate it herself, prompting studio commentator Hwang Bo-ra to leap up, laughing and shouting, “Are you crazy?! Is he okay?!”
Later, Bae revealed that, in an effort to conceive naturally, he and his wife had sex for eight consecutive days — so much so that he developed sudden hearing loss. Yoon shook his head and joked, “Even a perfectly healthy person would die after eight days.” He added that early in his own relationship he’d suffered such severe headaches that he went to a university hospital for a CT scan, fearing a ruptured blood vessel. When Won Jin-seo unexpectedly disclosed that the headaches occurred several times a day, Bae quipped, “I’ll die before the baby is born,” drawing a round of laughter.
Bae also read a letter thanking Yoon for looking after him during his struggling years. “Whenever I wanted to give up my singing career, Jung-soo was there,” he said, voice cracking. Yoon returned the sentiment: “Ki-sung’s the only person who listens to my whole story,” underscoring the depth of their bond.
New cast member Hong Seok-cheon opened up about legally adopting his sister’s two children. He said he hadn’t planned to adopt initially, but worried the kids would become a burden as his divorced sister tried to rebuild her life. He told her he would take the children so she could move on, recalling nights when she fled to his home to escape her husband — a decision that ultimately led him to formalize the adoption.
Hong’s daughter shared, “I recognized him as my dad long ago. If the kids want to call him ‘dad,’ they will. My life changed completely that day. I feel more secure now… I absolutely don’t regret being adopted.” The candid admission moved the studio.
As he prepared to meet his in-laws, Hong admitted, “I could meet the president and not be nervous, but meeting the in-laws makes me anxious.” Still, his warm, easygoing manner quickly put everyone at ease. While sorting out family titles, he cracked, “Can’t I just call you ‘hyung’ (brother)?” which lightened the mood. He praised his future son-in-law’s upbeat energy and visibly relaxed.
In a letter to his new in-laws, Hong wrote through tears: “I’m a rather unusual person, and I worry I might be a burden. I pray you’ll welcome our daughter warmly.” One in-law responded that her husband insisted such things don’t matter these days and praised Hong for accepting the kids with genuine warmth despite not having raised children himself. In an interview with producers, Hong called family “a big shield,” acknowledging it as both a responsibility and a source of protection. “Right now it might feel like one more task for the son-in-law,” he said with a smile, “but later it will become a shield.”
Tae Yu-na, TenAsia reporter youyou@tenasia.co.kr
