Shim Hyun-seop's hilarious '8 times a day' attempt to conceive at 56

Comedian Shim Hyun-seop revealed a humorous episode from his attempts to conceive a child with his wife, Jeong Yeong-rim, who is 11 years his junior. After being advised to combine medical treatments with natural conception, he put in such excessive effort(?) that he attempted it as many as 8 times in a single day. However, the actual instructions he received from the hospital were entirely different.

On the August 8 broadcast of MBN's 'Dongchimi,' Shim opened up about his newlywed life and his efforts to have a child following his late marriage.

During the show, Shim revealed that he was told to attempt natural conception alongside IVF (in vitro fertilization).

In this process, an unexpected 'excess of passion' was unleashed.

Shim stated, "I actually fainted recently," adding, "I did it 8 times from daytime until evening." In terms of time, this lasted from 3 PM until 1 AM the following day.

He explained the situation at the time, saying, "I went to sleep at 2 AM and woke up at 2 PM the next day. I had fainted."

Upon hearing this, Gong Hyeong-jin joked, "At your age, doing that much could actually be fatal," turning the studio into a sea of laughter.

The reason Shim pushed himself so hard was clear: he desperately wanted a child.

"They told me that even if we do IVF, we should continue to try naturally," he explained. He then shared further episodes from his newlywed life with Jeong.

According to Shim, his wife sent him signals every night in her own way.

"Before going to sleep, my wife would tap out Morse code and pretend to be asleep. She would say, 'Oppa, you shouldn't sleep.' So I asked, 'It's 12 AM, why shouldn't I sleep?' and she said we have to love each other for the sake of the baby."

However, the physical burden on Shim was significant.

He confessed honestly, "I lack the stamina," and explained that even the number of times his wife tapped his shoulder had its own meaning.

"Tapping three times means 'Oppa, wake up,' and tapping twice means 'Did you forget about today?' She does it cutely because she is also shy."

He also shared his honest feelings about starting a newlywed life at a later age.

Shim drew laughter by saying, "If I am born again, I will get married in my mid-40s. I don't have the stamina."

Shim, born in 1970, is 11 years older than Jeong, who was born in 1981. The couple married on April 20 last year after dating for about a year. Jeong previously revealed that she quit the academy where she had worked for 16 years to focus on IVF.

However, toward the end of the broadcast, an unexpected twist emerged regarding Shim's '8 times a day' story.

Shim had told the hospital director about his experience, and he revealed the response he received.

"The director said, 'I told you to do it twice a day for three days around the ovulation period; when did I ever say eight times?'"

Ultimately, the incident began with Shim's own interpretation, as he had embraced the doctor's advice more aggressively than anyone else.

As they married later in life, the couple's desperation for a child is palpable. The episode drew attention for showing the bittersweet reality of the couple working together toward pregnancy.