"I love my son-in-law more than my son now." Actress Youn Yuh-jung cleverly revealed her son's homosexuality.
On the 18th (local time), Youn Yuh-jung came out about her eldest son being gay during an interview with U.S. entertainment media such as Variety.
He appeared in the Hollywood film 'Wedding Banquet' and, in an interview with local media conducted to coincide with the film's release, received a question that said, "I heard the reason you can relate to this character is that your son is gay." In response, Youn Yuh-jung confessed, "My eldest son came out as gay in 2000," surprising everyone.
In particular, Youn Yuh-jung stated, "When same-sex marriage was legalized in New York, I held my son's wedding there. Since it was still a secret in Korea, the whole family came to New York."
She continued, "I still don't know how my hometown people will react. They might throw books at me," she joked, expressing concern about domestic reactions. However, she added, "Now I love my son-in-law more than my son," showing her strong support for both her son and son-in-law.
'Wedding Banquet' is known to be a film that portrays the stories of characters struggling with cultural identity and their expectations of family as they grow up as gay individuals. The film is a modern remake by Korean-American director Andrew Ahn of the same name by director IAAN, released in 1993.
Within this context, Youn Yuh-jung appears as the family grandmother, portraying a character that shows unwavering support and love for her gay grandson. Regarding a scene where she tells her grandson, despite his confession of being gay, "You are my grandson," Youn Yuh-jung remarked, "It's a line that came from my real life," and expressed hope that it would be helpful in the film.
Above all, regarding the theme of homosexuality in 'Wedding Banquet,' she stated, "Korea is not open at all to such issues. It is a very conservative country," noting, "This character felt very personal to me, and the lines I said to my grandson in the film were written by sharing my actual experiences with the director."
Youn Yuh-jung married singer Cho Yong-nam in 1974. The couple had two sons but divorced in 1987. Since then, Youn Yuh-jung has raised both sons on her own while commuting between Korea and the United States. She has gained acclaim in Hollywood through works such as the Apple TV+ series 'Pachinko' and the film 'Minari.'
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