“First and foremost, through sperm donation”…The story of a new family of 'chosen mother' surpassing Sayuri
Without the barrier of marriage, a woman has decided to become a mother solely out of her earnest desire to 'have a child.' A specialist in internal medicine, Ms. A, who has already given birth to her first child and is raising the child for 28 months, is now on the brink of giving birth to her second child. Having obtained her first child through sperm donation, she has completed preparations to embrace her second in the same way. This marks the emergence of a so-called 'voluntary single mother surpassing Sayuri.'
On the 20th, the reality of voluntary single motherhood was shared on the TV CHOSUN entertainment program 'Our Baby Has Been Born.'
She revealed that she underwent artificial insemination through a Danish sperm bank at the time of her first childbirth, and that she successfully became pregnant through in vitro fertilization using the same sperm for her second child. “I thought it would be better for the child to have siblings from the same donor,” she said, reflecting her deep consideration and warmth as a mother.
What is most surprising is the reaction of her parents to this choice. Ms. A recalled, “I told them about my pregnancy with the first child after returning from Denmark, during the Chuseok holiday,” adding, “They were taken aback and didn’t speak for a while, but I heard my mother cried a lot.”
However, the family soon gathered their thoughts and respected and celebrated her choice. In the case of the second child, they had discussed it beforehand, and her mother also supported her by saying, “Go ahead and do it.” Living alone to give birth and raise two children, doesn’t it seem hard? To this, she remarked, “If I had started with someone and ended up alone, it would have been difficult, but I was okay since I started alone,” adding, “The joy of raising a child is so great that I didn’t have postpartum depression.”
She continued, “There is a sense of accomplishment that I did it alone. I feel so happy seeing the child grow well, and I want to be a better mother,” conveying that daily parenting is a continuous source of happiness for her. Park Soo-hong remarked, “Sayuri was amazing, but today’s subject is even more impressive. After the first child, choosing two lives on her own will is commendable.”
In 2020, Sayuri gave birth to her son Zen through sperm donation in Japan, paving the way for the discussion on 'voluntary single motherhood' in Korea. However, she emphasized that she hopes this method does not spread like a trend, stating it is a personal choice. Yet, in this broadcast, the subject continues this trend, personally demonstrating a new definition of family. She has courageously expanded the meaning of 'becoming a parent,' which was thought to be possible only within the institution of marriage, through her own responsibility.
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