"Do You Look in the Mirror... You Seem Like Someone Who Gave Up on Life"
Wife Considering Divorce After Husband's Verbal Abuse
A story has been shared about a woman who is considering divorce due to her husband’s verbal abuse, demanding that she lose weight.
On the 6th, YTN Radio's 'Attorney Jo Inseop's Counseling Center' introduced the story of wife A, who is considering divorce because her husband, obsessed with exercising, is forcing her to diet as well.
Mr. and Mrs. A enjoyed eating so much that they would visit popular restaurants every weekend. However, one day the husband decided to join a gym, saying, "The health checkup results were not good." He declared that he would stop drinking alcohol and eating ramen and snacks, which he used to enjoy. At that time, the husband suggested that A join him, but she refused.
Determined, the husband went to the gym every day after work. He gave up all his favorite foods. Eventually, he succeeded in losing weight. He happily said, "My coworkers told me I look 10 years younger." After that, the husband went to the gym every weekend instead of restaurants, and even when A invited him to drink, he refused and only drank water. He even held back tears while watching sad movies, saying, "I’m worried about muscle loss."
The problem began when the husband started to scold A. He nagged her with comments like, "Did you gain fat or just swell up?", "Do you even look in the mirror?", and "Don’t just lie down, go for a walk at least." The nagging escalated into verbal abuse, including, "Are you desperate to become a pig?", "You seem like someone who has given up on life," and "Don’t you feel pathetic when you think about people working out hard while you’re eating chicken and beer?"
A said, "I was so shocked by my husband’s words. He used to say my belly and arm fat were cute and wanted to touch them all day, but now he looks at me pitifully even when I just open the fridge door." She added, "I’m afraid to go home after work. All I think about is wanting to leave my husband. Since he started going to the gym, our communication has completely broken down."
Attorney Jo Inseop (Shinsegae Law Firm) said, "It is common for couples to experience conflicts due to one spouse’s hobby. It is difficult to get a divorce simply because there is less time to communicate. The marital relationship must be broken to the extent that it cannot be restored. Since there still seems to be affection for the husband, it would be good to receive couples counseling."
He continued, "A bigger problem than the communication breakdown is the husband’s verbal abuse. Verbal abuse is unfair treatment of a spouse and is grounds for divorce under Article 840, Clause 3 of the Civil Act. The husband insults A by calling her fat and comparing her to other women. If enduring the verbal abuse and continuing the marriage causes A great pain, it is grounds for divorce." He added, "To file for a consensual divorce, you must submit an application to the family court, then after a one-month reflection period, both parties must appear together to confirm their intention to divorce. If there are children, the reflection period is extended to three months. Once the intention to divorce is confirmed, the divorce must be registered to take effect."
Netizens who read the story showed mixed reactions. Some criticized the husband’s behavior with comments like, "Divorce is the answer when your spouse verbally abuses you," "‘Do you even look in the mirror?’ That’s way too harsh," "Can you even talk to a husband who says you’ve given up on life?" "I’m hurt just hearing this," and "The worst spouse." On the other hand, some defended the husband, leaving comments such as, "It’s for health, the wife is just being sensitive," "They should talk it out; thinking about divorce first is a bit much," "Even after marriage, some self-care is necessary," and "There’s nothing wrong with losing weight."
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