President Yoon: "Living alone feels like a blessing"... A jab at MBC's 'NahonSan'?

President Yoon Emphasizes Broadcasting's Role in Low Birthrate Issue
"Living Alone Feels Comfortable and Like a Blessing..."
"All Media Should Portray Loving Families"

President Yoon Suk-yeol emphasized the importance of solving the low birthrate issue and made remarks that are being interpreted as targeting a specific entertainment program. On the 25th, President Yoon attended the 4th Population Emergency Countermeasures Meeting held at the Korea Federation of SMEs in Yeouido, Seoul, under the theme of 'Sharing Achievements of Companies Excelling in Work-Family Balance.'

President Yoon Suk-yeol is applauding as he begins the 4th Emergency Population Countermeasure Meeting on the 25th at the Korea Federation of SMEs in Yeouido, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, themed "Sharing Achievements of Excellent Companies in Work-Family Balance."
[Image source=Yonhap News]

On this day, President Yoon said, "Childbirth and childcare must be happy experiences in order to overcome the current population crisis," adding, "The top priority is to change the work environment and culture so that young people can work hard and happily balance childcare." He then urged Park Min, president of KBS, who attended the event, saying, "The role of broadcasting is the most important," and "Living alone is often portrayed as comfortable and fortunate, but films, dramas, and all media should address that a loving family is the starting point of a good society."

A scene from the broadcast of 'I Live Alone' [Image source=MBC broadcast screen capture]

These remarks are being interpreted as referring to MBC’s entertainment program 'Na Honja Sanda' (I Live Alone). This program reflects the increasing trend of single men and women and one-person households by documenting the daily lives of celebrities living alone in a reality documentary format, and it has been broadcast for 11 years.

'Na Honja Sanda' has been mentioned several times in political circles. In November 2022, Na Kyung-won, then vice-chair of the Low Birthrate and Aging Society Committee, said in a radio interview, "I’m not criticizing any program, but I heard there is a program about living alone," adding, "Living alone is being perceived as happier."

In December last year, Seo Jeong-sook, a member of the National Assembly’s Special Committee on Population Crisis from the People Power Party, criticized at the party’s floor meeting, "Programs like 'Na Honja Sanda' or dramas about infidelity and family destruction occupy too high a proportion," and said, "The decline in marriage rates is a problem, but the social trend of avoiding childbirth is an even bigger issue." Kang Guk-chang, chairman of the National Movement Headquarters for Population Decline Countermeasures, also pointed out in July last year that "TV programs like 'Na Honja Sanda' and the media are the main culprits causing young people to avoid marriage and childbirth."