[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-ju] Choi Hong-rim broke down in tears upon seeing his estranged older brother after 30 years.
On the 6th, Channel A's 'Eye Contact' featured comedian and golfer Choi Hong-rim sharing a heartbreaking story about his 10-year-older brother, Choi Gil-rim.
Choi Hong-rim previously revealed, "After I was diagnosed with renal failure, my estranged older brother offered to donate a kidney. But as the surgery date approached, he suddenly disappeared."
On the show, Choi Hong-rim's sister, Choi Young-min, said, "It's been almost 30 years since Hong-rim and our brother in Busan became estranged. Hong-rim is the youngest, and there's a 10-year age gap with our brother. Our brother was a source of fear and someone we didn't even want to think about," adding, "He was such a young sibling, so why did he do that?"
Later, when Choi Hong-rim arrived at the filming site and faced his brother, he eventually broke down in tears.
Ultimately, when facing his brother Choi Gil-rim, Choi Hong-rim struggled to catch his breath and avoided eye contact.
Choi Hong-rim said, "I came because of my sister. I still can't forgive him," and expressed anger, saying, "When I asked why he hit me like that, he said he didn't remember."
He continued, "He said he was jealous because our parents favored me," and added, "My whole body was bruised black except for my neck, wrists, and ankles. He hit me like that when I was just four years old," he pleaded.
Choi Gil-rim responded, "I still wonder why I hit him."
Choi Hong-rim exploded in anger, saying, "Why did he hit me? Because if he hit me, mom would give him money. If he took the money and left, when the money ran out, he would come back and hit me again. Whenever he appeared, the whole family trembled. How can a mother cry because she’s afraid of her child?"
Unable to calm Choi Hong-rim down, the production team eventually stopped filming.
Choi Hong-rim confided to the production team, "He needs to remember. But he says he doesn’t remember anything. He never visited mom when she had dementia even once. Then he came to the funeral and asked why she was crying."
He continued, "After going through all that, I told my sisters to get a grip. When the sisters gave him money, do you know why? Because it’s easier. Even if we struggle, it’s happier without him. That’s why they gave him money. That period was happiness," he said in anger.
Choi Hong-rim added, "And the kidney? When my brother said he would give it, my sister said, 'Somehow, I think I should give it to you.' And she really did. Whether or not my brother gave the kidney isn’t important," he said. "When I see my brother, I think of mom. When mom passed away and I saw my brother crying out loud, I thought, 'Is he finally growing up?' We thought if we criticized him, mom would come to her senses because she only cared about him. Do you know why mom committed suicide? She tried three extreme attempts. I saw all of them," he said.
His brother, Choi Gil-rim, apologized, saying, "I will do everything you said. I want to start over from today. I’m really sorry to our family, especially to you. This is my last wish. Hong-rim, I truly was wrong," he said.
However, Choi Hong-rim said, "I’m really sorry, but before you came here, I told my sisters that if you said you would go to the funeral when you die, they wouldn’t even look at you. But since you came out and talked, I will go when you die. I will cry then," and added, "I think I will meet my brother again someday. But not now," as he left the place.
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