Joo Young Hoon shares story of family selling Cheongdam-dong home before US move

“If only we had waited just a few more months…”

Composer Joo Young Hoon has shared the story of his parents, who sold their large home in Cheongdam-dong at a low price before moving to the United States. He specifically noted how his mother, who suffered from severe mysophobia, worked as a high school janitor in the U.S. for over 10 years to make ends meet.

Appearing on the YouTube channel ‘Saeropge Hasoseo’ on the 25th, Joo revealed that he lived in a house exceeding 150 pyeong in Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam District, Seoul, during his childhood. However, when his father decided to immigrate to the United States for his ministry, the family sold the house urgently just before the 1988 Seoul Olympics. The sale price at the time was 150 million won. “They said the house price would jump more than 10 times after the Olympics ended, but we couldn't wait and sold it,” Joo recalled.

The regret persisted afterward. As surrounding areas were developed and property values soared, his mother reportedly resented his father for the rest of her life, asking, “Why did you sell it?” Joo shared that whenever his father's ministry faced difficulties, his mother would bring up the sale, noting that all the neighbors moved away after the house prices rose.

Even more surprising was his mother's life in the United States. Despite her severe mysophobia—which was so intense she would not even press elevator buttons with her fingers—she took a job cleaning a high school to support the family. She worked 8 to 9 hours a day cleaning bathrooms and even unclogging toilets. Joo said that after returning home, she would bathe for nearly two hours because she felt so dirty.

She had virtually no days off. On Saturdays, she would spend the entire day grocery shopping and preparing meals for the church congregation, only finding a brief moment to rest after Sunday service. Joo recounted the tension between his parents with a mix of laughter and bitterness: “If my father had just said 'I'm sorry,' it would have been fine, but when he asked, 'Can't we make one or two more side dishes?' he almost got hit with a cabbage.”

Having lost his father last March, Joo also provided an update on his mother, who has since struggled with dementia and a fall. He noted that after enduring such difficult years, she has now largely recovered her health. From the regret over the Cheongdam-dong home to the grueling labor in the United States, the cost the family paid following their decision to immigrate was greater than expected.