'Sallimnam' No Ji-hoon, Longing for Deceased Parents "Miss Them More After Child Was Born"

Photo by KBS 2TV 'Salrimhaneun Namjadeul Season 2' capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Jeong-ho] Trot singer No Ji-hoon expressed his longing for his late parents.

On the 8th, KBS 2TV's 'Men Who Do Housework Season 2' (hereafter 'Sallimnam') aired a scene where No Ji-hoon and Lee Eun-hye performed ancestral rites.

That day, No Ji-hoon revealed it was the day to hold the ancestral rites for his grandmother and grandfather. However, since No Ji-hoon had a schedule, he ordered the ritual food by delivery for Lee Eun-hye, who had to prepare the rites alone.

In response, Lee Eun-hye said, "I received the ancestral rites, but it wasn't that easy. So I said, 'I will order the food,' but the reaction was not good. They said, 'We understand this time, but we hope you don't order it next time,'" expressing her concern.

Meanwhile, No Ji-hoon invited his eldest sister, No Ji-hye. Lee Eun-hye had a comfortable conversation with No Ji-hye and joked, "She feels like a real older sister. We talk on the phone until dawn. When either one of us has complaints about our husbands," she said playfully.

Then, No Ji-hoon recalled the difficult times after his parents passed away. In an interview with the production team, No Ji-hoon said, "My father battled cancer for about two years and passed away when I was in the second year of middle school. Shortly after, my mother passed away," reminiscing about those times.

No Ji-hye also calmly said, "It was very bleak. I was twenty-two, my younger sister was twenty-one, and the youngest was in middle school. At that time, the despair was great. It felt like we became orphans."

Furthermore, No Ji-hoon recalled, "At that time, I lived at my aunt's house for two or three years and at my other aunt's for two years. My sisters also lived and ate at jjimjilbangs (Korean saunas)," recalling the hard times.

No Ji-hye added, "There was no choice. We had to earn money, but we didn't know how. I worked part-time at a counter during the day, and Ji-eun worked at night. Since they provided room and board, we ate and slept there," and continued, "I gave up on my studies first. My younger sister played soccer, so a lot of money went into that. We paid fees, ate, and maintained our lives," adding, and No Ji-hoon expressed gratitude, saying, "I remember the monthly fees were from several hundred thousand won to even a few million won. I want to repay my parents."

That night, after finishing his schedule, No Ji-hoon hurried home. His second sister, No Ji-eun, and the family elders all gathered in one place. The family immediately held the ancestral rites, and No Ji-hoon proudly said, "Before marriage and after marriage are different. Before marriage, I had many wishes like 'Please make things go well.' After marriage, I express a lot of gratitude. I say, 'Thank you for watching over me. Thank you for giving me a new family.'"

Afterward, No Ji-hoon confessed his longing for his parents. He tearfully said, "Actually, these days I miss them every day. Since Ian was born, the absence of my father has grown even more. With just one phone call, I could ask, 'Father, what should I do with Ian at times like this?' but in my case, I can't do that," shedding tears.