"Where Does the Husband Keep Going, Leaving Their 100-Day-Old Baby Alone?"

When Asked Why They Disappear, They Instead Face Criticism
Experts Say "It Reflects a Tendency to Avoid Responsibility"

A story of a woman in her 20s troubled by her husband frequently disappearing without a word has been shared.

On the 23rd, JTBC's 'Sageon Banjang' introduced the story of a wife whose husband often disappears without saying anything. The informant, Ms. A, began, "I got married after becoming pregnant while in a long-distance relationship with my husband, who is 10 years older." She continued, "After marriage, whether day or early morning, my husband would disappear for hours without a word and then come back. When I asked where he had been, he said he went for a drive alone or went to a karaoke alone. This happened almost every other day."

A story of a woman in her 20s troubled by her husband frequently disappearing without a word has been shared. On the 23rd, JTBC's 'Sageon Banjang' introduced the story of a wife worried because her husband often disappears without saying anything. The photo is not related to the specific content of the article. Photo by Asia Economy

She added, "It was very hard taking care of our 100-day-old baby alone while waiting for my suddenly disappearing husband." She explained, "After tearfully pleading, things seemed to calm down for a while, but on the day we planned to go out, while I was preparing to go out with the baby, my husband said he was going to take out the trash but disappeared again."

About two hours later, when Ms. A contacted him, her husband casually said, "I just finished swimming and am on my way home." When Ms. A got angry, her husband retorted, "That can happen. You're overreacting. You're young and immature, so you don't understand me," blaming her instead. Eventually, Ms. A blocked her husband's phone number and went to her parents' home. Then, her husband sent a text message saying, "You're doing all sorts of things. The wounds I received are bigger than the ones I gave." Ms. A said, "I'm so angry at my husband who repeats childish behavior and acts shamelessly," and asked, "Am I the one overreacting?"

Netizens responded to Ms. A's story with comments such as "The husband is so selfish," "Does he have another lover? Suspicious," "It's 100% cheating," and "If there was no child, it might be understandable, but disappearing even though there is a child is really too much." Experts analyzing the husband's behavior described it as 'avoidant parenting avoidance syndrome.' Psychology professor Park Sang-hee pointed out, "This is a case where the tendency to avoid responsibility due to sudden pregnancy and marriage is expressed in an extreme form."

Meanwhile, according to statistics from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the proportion of 'parenting responsibility avoidance' as a reason for divorce among newlyweds has increased by 32% over the past five years. Experts emphasize, "Sufficient sharing of values and agreement on parenting responsibilities before marriage should be prioritized." A representative from the Korea Family Law Counseling Center advised, "Habitual disappearance of a spouse can legally be considered 'abandonment,' and it is necessary to consider legal action along with professional counseling."