Singer Lee Hyo-ri's remarks about her personal stance on in vitro fertilization are drawing renewed attention. Amid ongoing controversy surrounding the remarks, the response to a recent photo she posted on social media (SNS) is also noteworthy.
On the 23rd, comments made by Lee Hyo-ri regarding her desire for a second child, initially aired in the 2022 MBC Every1 entertainment show 'The Oppa of the Tteokbokki House,' were revisited on online communities and SNS.
At the time, Lee Hyo-ri stated, "I don’t want to go as far as in vitro fertilization," adding, "I’m not that desperate, so I don’t want to rely on the power of medicine." She continued, "If it happens naturally, I would like to raise it with a grateful heart," stating, "I know someone who had their first child at 58. I also have courage."
When asked about her reasons for wanting to have a child, she expressed, "I wanted to understand the love that mothers have for their babies and the commitment where they devote themselves as if they disappear," revealing, "I have lived such an important life until now, but I thought I wanted to experience disappearing like that."
She also mentioned, "The author of a book I read recently suffered because they couldn't have a baby, but they lived with the heart of 'I may not have my child, but I will love everyone as a mother,' stating, "As I read that book, I felt that the idea that you must have a baby to experience true love might be wrong, and I want to live with that mindset."
Although her remarks were not meant to criticize anyone but rather to express her choice, some netizens criticized her, asking, "Do you understand what parents of test-tube babies go through?" and labeling her comments as "out of touch." However, others defended her, stating, "It’s just a personal choice; why such a hypersensitive reaction?" and, "She isn’t denying IVF; reading comprehension is seriously lacking."
As the controversy continued, on the 20th, Lee Hyo-ri posted several photos from a visit to an art museum on her SNS. Among them was a picture of Lee Hyo-ri gazing at a painting of a woman holding a baby, to which she added a short caption, saying, "So beautiful."
Some fans interpreted this by saying, "There is still a deep interest in motherhood," and, "It seems to carry a message of her determination to choose her life at her own pace and in her own way."