Park Soo Hong and Kim Da Ye return to spotlight after flight controversy

Following entertainer Park Soo Hong, his wife Kim Da Ye has also appeared on a live home shopping broadcast, resuming her broadcasting activities. The couple has returned to official broadcasting activities one after another following a recent controversy regarding a flight delay during a trip with their daughter, Jae-i. However, on YouTube, they have adjusted the intensity of their comeback by focusing on the daily lives of Jae-i and their pet cat Da-hong rather than putting themselves at the forefront.

On the 14th, Kim appeared on a live broadcast of a home shopping channel to sell beauty products. This marks the first time Kim has appeared directly on a broadcast screen since the controversy.

Previously, Park also appeared on a live broadcast for L Company's home shopping on the 7th to sell products. Following Park's initial return to the broadcasting scene, Kim appeared on a live home shopping broadcast about a week later, suggesting the couple is resuming activities in their own respective ways.

The reason for the intense interest in the couple's return to broadcasting lies in the recent controversy regarding a flight departure delay. Park and Kim boarded a flight to Guam with their daughter Jae-i and experienced an unexpected situation during the departure process.

At the time, when Jae-i would not stop crying immediately after boarding, Park reportedly expressed his intention to disembark, and the airline proceeded with the process of unloading checked baggage accordingly. It is reported that after Jae-i stopped crying, Park reversed his decision to disembark, and in this process, the flight departure was delayed by approximately one hour.

As a flight delay is an issue that can affect the schedules of all passengers, criticism continued primarily online. In particular, diverse reactions emerged as it was a case where the unexpected situation of a passenger accompanied by a young child intersected with the airline's safety and operational procedures.

As the controversy grew, Park admitted to his actions and apologized directly. He stated, “I caused great inconvenience by taking away the precious time of many people, and I also caused harm to the airline staff,” adding, “I bow my head and offer my sincere apologies.”

Regarding the situation at the time, he explained, “I was flustered because the child was crying to the point where she could not sit down immediately after boarding, leading me to make an immature judgment.” He added, “This happened entirely due to my ignorance of aviation-related procedures, and there is no room for any excuse.”

Following the controversy, the couple suspended their social media (SNS) activities, and the YouTube content that was released every Monday also disappeared for a while. While the couple's decision to distance themselves from their public channel for a certain period could be interpreted as a move to be mindful of public reaction rather than a direct response to the controversy, the two have not separately disclosed the specific background or duration of their hiatus.

In the midst of this, a video titled 'When Did They Get So Close? Here's How Jae-i and Da-hong Are Doing These Days' was uploaded to the YouTube channel 'Park Soo Hong Is Happy' on the 14th. Rather than putting the couple's return at the forefront, this video focused on the daily lives of Jae-i and the pet cat Da-hong.

The appearances of Park and Kim were not the central subject of the video. Instead, it captured Jae-i and Da-hong spending time together, showing a slightly different tone from previous content. A change in the method of resuming activities is detectable in that, rather than the couple directly continuing their own stories immediately after the controversy, they composed the content around their daughter and pet cat among the family members.

The difference in temperature between the two platforms, home shopping and YouTube, also draws attention. On home shopping, Park and Kim each appeared directly on air to introduce products, resuming activities close to their professional roles. On the other hand, on YouTube, they put forward the relatively non-personal subject of Jae-i and Da-hong's daily lives rather than themselves.

While home shopping has a clear broadcasting purpose of selling products, personal YouTube channels often have the appearance and family stories of the participants as their core assets. The fact that the couple appeared in different ways on the two media outlets following the controversy is not unrelated to these differences in platform characteristics.

Park and Kim married in July 2021. After undergoing infertility treatment and IVF processes, they welcomed their daughter Jae-i in October 2024. As the process of waiting for a child for a long time has been shared, Jae-i has become a significant figure in the couple's YouTube content.

In particular, since her birth, Park and Kim have actively shared their parenting and family life. Jae-i's growth, Park's parenting, and life with Da-hong have been the primary subjects of their content. Therefore, focusing on Jae-i and Da-hong in this YouTube video can be seen as an extension of their existing channel content.

However, it is important to note that this video is not a statement or explanation regarding the controversy. Based on the title and content, the core focus is on the current status of Jae-i and Da-hong, and no additional positions regarding the controversy were presented by the couple.

As Park and Kim return to the broadcasting scene, interest is growing in how their future activities will unfold. Whether the couple, who resumed via home shopping, will return to the forefront of variety shows and YouTube, or continue focusing on family-centered content, will be revealed through their future steps.

The current pattern is relatively clear. Park first returned via live home shopping, followed by Kim in a similar manner. On YouTube, the focus shifted from the couple to Jae-i and Da-hong. While re-engaging with the public, they have maintained a distinct difference in how they present themselves across different platforms.