Husband who chose divorce over quitting alcohol now neglects family for fitness

The conflict between a husband who places exercise and self-management at the center of his life and a wife who pleads for him to prioritize the family will be revealed on MBC's 'Oh Eun Young’s Report Marriage Hell.' What appeared to be a simple conflict over hobbies expands into a much more complex situation, involving past drinking issues, massive financial losses, and strained relationships with their children.

In episode 184 of MBC's 'Oh Eun Young’s Report Marriage Hell,' which airs at 9 PM on the 7th, the so-called 'Priority 1 Couple' appears. The wife claims that her husband prioritizes his exercise and hobbies over the family, while the husband counters that he has also made significant economic contributions to the household.

In the observation footage, the husband is immersed in exercise from early morning. For him, exercise is not just a hobby, but a lifestyle he started to overcome feelings of depression. It is reported that he has recently been so focused on exercise and diet management that he even shot a body profile.

The problem is that his self-management has begun to clash with the family's schedule. According to the wife, even when they went to a kids' cafe with the children, the husband pulled out chicken breast to eat separately when it was mealtime. He even reportedly canceled his mother's birthday gathering, claiming he couldn't eat because he was preparing for his body profile.

The frustration the wife feels ultimately comes down to a matter of 'priorities.' Describing her husband, she says, "He is his own number one priority," expressing that it feels as though his exercise and body management are more important to him than the family. While it may be an effort for self-recovery for the husband, it is perceived by the wife as an act of pushing family community time to the back burner.

Economic issues add another layer to the conflict. The wife claims that the husband spent 3,000,000 won on sneakers, and even prepared a fish tank worth about 1,000,000 won and a refrigerator worth around 3,000,000 won to store chicken breast. From the wife's perspective, the repeated spending for self-management has increased the household burden.

However, the husband's logic is different. He pushes back against being portrayed as the only one using family money, citing the expenses he has covered, such as the house, the deposit for the wife's Pilates center, and expensive gifts. Ultimately, their fight expands from 'who spent more' to a problem where neither can acknowledge the other's economic contribution.

Here, the past drinking issue resurfaces. According to the wife, the husband used to drink frequently, about 6 days a week, and when asked, "Do you want to quit drinking or get a divorce?", he was at a point where he would choose divorce rather than giving up alcohol.

The more serious issue was drunk driving. The broadcast reveals that the husband's license was revoked due to drunk driving and that he paid a fine of approximately 9,000,000 won. When the wife points out that he "causes such big accidents every now and then" by mentioning past economic losses, the husband counters by claiming the wife also bears responsibility for the financial losses.

On the surface, the current exercise and the past drinking seem like opposite behaviors. However, from the couple's perspective, both behaviors pose the same question: "To what extent will you prioritize your own desires and lifestyle?" While exercise may be a means of recovery for the husband, unlike his past undisciplined drinking, it has the potential to be perceived by the wife as another form of self-centered living.

The broadcast will also highlight the impact the conflict between the couple has had on their children. In the observation camera, the eldest son only cautiously comes out of his room at 3 AM when all family members are asleep. He is captured avoiding contact with the family, such as only leaving his room after the family has fallen asleep and communicating with his mother via text message rather than speaking to her directly after she returns from work.

In particular, the scene where the wife sheds tears after seeing her son on screen shows that the weight of the couple's conflict does not stay only with the two of them. In a household raising four children, a key point of interest will be why the children have distanced themselves from the family while the couple clashes over their respective lifestyles.

The core of the marital conflicts handled by 'Marriage Hell' has not been about simply judging who is right or wrong. For this 'Priority 1 Couple' as well, there exists a structural relationship that is difficult to explain solely through the price of sneakers, refrigerators, or past fines. The key is how the two lost their balance between self-management and family duty, and between individual recovery and community responsibility.

Above all, just because the past drinking issues have been replaced by current self-management, it does not mean the family conflicts are automatically resolved. Changing one's direction in life and having the family accept that change are two separate processes.

The broadcast will reveal why the eldest son has begun to avoid his family, why the husband's self-management has become a source of conflict for his wife, and the deep gap in how the two perceive each other's economic contributions.