"Four People Called Mom When I Was Young, Stepfather Was a Drunkard" Confession of a Veteran Actor

"Drunken Stepfather, Only Yelling When He Comes Home"

Actor Baek Il-seop opened up about his difficult childhood.

On the 7th, TV Chosun's 'Dad and Me' aired a scene where Baek Il-seop met his daughter Ji-eun, from whom he had been estranged for seven years.

That day, his daughter asked, "When did you start wearing a hearing aid?" Baek Il-seop replied, "It's been a long time. For 7 or 8 years, I couldn't hear the other person's lines, so I had to watch their lip movements to act," adding, "My head hurt and I became lethargic, so I just couldn't continue." In response, his daughter said, "You've had poor hearing for a long time, and I wished you would wear a hearing aid, but you really disliked it," and added, "Seeing you wearing one after such a long time made me very happy."

She continued, "Because Dad's hearing wasn't good, I always thought in my head, 'When we talk, I have to speak loudly and only say what's necessary,'" confessing, "Because of that situation, I had no choice but to raise my voice at Dad."

Actor Baek Il-seop. [Image source=TV Chosun 'Dad and Me']

Also, during a meal with his daughter, Baek Il-seop revealed in a phone call from his older sister, "We share the same mother, but different fathers." He added, "This older sister sent me to Seoul," explaining, "She told me to go to my biological mother and that I shouldn't stay here."

He said he went to find his biological mother carrying just one bag, and shared, "There were four women I called 'Mom'." He continued, "When I came up to Seoul, I found out my mother had a different father," and said, "It hurt my feelings. I thought Mom lived alone." His daughter expressed sympathy, saying, "Looking back now, a first-year high school student is still a child."

Baek Il-seop said, "I lived with another woman in Yeosu, and my real mother had a different father, so I couldn't feel close. Mom was restless and apologetic. Seeing that made my heart ache even more."

Actor Baek Il-seop. [Image source=TV Chosun 'Dad and Me']

Baek Il-seop spoke about his stepfather at the time, saying, "He was a heavy drinker. Whenever I went home, all I heard was yelling." He revealed the conflict with his stepfather, saying, "One day, he told me to change my surname to 'Kim.' Changing from 'Baek' to 'Kim' made me feel terrible. Life was bad the whole time."

Baek Il-seop shared, "At that time, I met Nam Jin," adding, "Nam Jin lived in Jangwi-dong, and his house was nearby. It had three rooms, so I always went there. When Nam Jin had no work, he always stayed there. That's how I left home and started living on my own."