Jo Hye-ryun's daughter chooses independence over competition

Broadcaster Jo Hye-ryun candidly shared the growth process of her daughter, Yoon-ah, revealing the parental anxieties she faced and her current reflections. The story of her daughter—who dropped out of an elite high school, studied in the United States, returned home due to COVID-19, transferred universities, and eventually achieved financial independence—has left a deep impression.

On the 27th, a video titled "Jo Hye-ryun, who read the Bible for 10 hours a day, what she ultimately wanted to convey" was released on the YouTube channel "Lee Sung-mi's Can't Go."

During the broadcast, Jo calmly recounted how Yoon-ah chose a path different from her peers from the very beginning.

She began by noting that Yoon-ah was attending a prestigious high school in Korea but decided to drop out on her own, recalling the immense pressure her daughter felt at the time.

"Yoon-ah confided her worries, saying, 'Living a life struggling in this competition is too hard. I don't know if living like this is truly a happy life,'" Jo reminisced. "Ultimately, I told her, 'If it is the life you truly want, decide for yourself.' However, from a parent's perspective, that process was not easy at all, and it was very difficult for me as well."

Following that decision, Yoon-ah pursued a new path. She attended an international school and then moved to the United States to study, but the unexpected COVID-19 pandemic disrupted all her plans.

"She studied in the US for about a year, but when the COVID-19 outbreak occurred, all students had to return," Jo said. "After returning to Korea, she changed noticeably."

Life in the United States also brought significant shifts in Yoon-ah's values.

"In the US, there is a culture where most people, after graduating high school, prepare their own college tuition and leave their parents to become independent. After seeing that, Yoon-ah said, 'I will try living by earning my own money now,'" Jo shared.

Currently, Yoon-ah is continuing her studies after transferring to the Department of Chinese Commerce and Diplomacy at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies. Above all, the fact that she is living independently by earning her own living expenses without depending on her parents is Jo's greatest pride.

"She is living near her school, studying and earning money through tutoring," Jo said with a smile. "She is living apart from her mom and dad. I think we have reached a stage where, rather than leading from the front, parents quietly watch and cheer from behind."

Jo revealed that while there were considerable worries and conflicts before she could respect her daughter's choices, she ultimately came to support her daughter's decision to take responsibility for her own life.

In the past, Jo shared sincere stories about her family by revealing the daily lives of Yoon-ah and her son through TV Chosun's "Mom Knows Best." In this interview, she drew empathy by sharing the growth story of a daughter who chose happiness over competition and independence over dependence.