Baek Ji-young Says Daughter Was Bullied: "It Feels Like God Is Raising Her"

Singer Baek Ji-young has opened up about the bullying her daughter experienced, sharing both the hurt she felt as a mother and the way the moment made her think about faith and parenting.

On June 4, Baek Ji-young appeared on the YouTube channel "Compassion" and said that her daughter had once been treated unkindly by another child.

While talking about her daughter Haim, Baek explained the story behind the child's name. "When I had a baby shower late in my pregnancy, her original name was Sera," she said. "Sarai is also a symbol associated with pregnancy at an advanced maternal age, and my husband said, 'Look broadly at the world,' so we decided to call her Sera. Around that time, though, I had a dream in which I saw my husband's back. He lifted up our baby and kept calling, 'Haim,' dozens of times. It felt like a name given by God, so we changed it right away. That is how she became Haim."

Baek said there have been moments when her daughter surprised her. "When Haim was attending kindergarten, she went through a bit of bullying," she recalled. "That friend did not have a bad heart either, but Haim met a child who would say, 'Do not follow me. I do not like you. Go stand over there.' As a mother, when I heard that someone had said that to my young daughter, I was furious. I asked, 'Haim, should Mom talk to that child's mother?' But she told me not to. She said Jesus endured things like this too. Does that even make sense? Of course, children do not keep that kind of mindset 24 hours a day. But from moment to moment, I do feel, 'God is raising her.'"

Baek also spoke about her approach to parenting and discipline. "I make it my standard for discipline not to get angry at my child," she said. "There is also a passage that says, 'Do not provoke your children to anger.' I used to think, 'Isn't it supposed to be that children should not anger their parents?' But after raising a child, I realized that the passage was right. I am very strict when I discipline her, but I do it briefly, firmly, and sharply. I do not get angry, though."

When the production staff responded, "It seems like we should ask Haim about that," Baek said, "Please teach her the difference between discipline and anger. I have never shouted at my child. I make sure my daughter does not do things that would make me shout," quietly showing pride in her daughter.