YouTuber Kim Ddol-ddol reveals 4-year estrangement from father following coming out

YouTuber Kim Ddol-ddol has revealed a heartbreaking story of being estranged from his parents for a long period following his coming out. Raised in a devout Christian household, he experienced deep conflict due to his parents' reaction, as they struggled to accept his sexual identity. While he was out of contact with his mother for six months, he remained estranged from his father for as long as four years. However, sincere words later offered by his father served as a turning point for reconsidering the family relationship.

Appearing on the KBS 2TV entertainment program "Malja Show," which aired on the 26th, Kim Ddol-ddol spoke about the difficulties he faced with his family after coming out. The broadcast was a special feature titled "Is It Just Me?", featuring Kim Ddol-ddol and neuroscientist Jang Dong-seon as guests. When Jung Bum-kyoon asked if the process of coming out to his parents must have been difficult, Kim Ddol-ddol shared the story he had long kept to himself.

“After much deliberation at the age of 28, I came out on a public broadcast,” he said, adding, “My family is a devout Christian household. My parents were very shocked.” He explained that while it required significant thought to reveal his identity to the world, he faced another wall after informing his family.

The reaction from his parents was harder to accept than Kim Ddol-ddol had anticipated. He recalled that his parents said, “I heard from a certain deacon that you can be healed through prayer. Don't you think about going to a hospital?” While these words may have stemmed from parental concern and faith, to Kim Ddol-ddol, the response felt as though his identity was being viewed as something that needed to be cured.

At the time, Kim Ddol-ddol confessed, “I felt like communication was impossible.” It appears that maintaining the relationship was difficult when their perspectives could not be reconciled. Consequently, he lost contact with his mother for about six months and remained out of touch with his father for a long period of four years.

During that time, Kim Ddol-ddol focused on his own life. “During those four years, I focused on my life and worked hard at the things I love,” he stated. Even amidst the disconnection from his family, he strove to live the life he desired. During this period, he received an unexpected text message from his father, which read, “Happy New Year. We should at least see each other's faces.”

At the first meeting with his family after a long time, his father candidly expressed the worries he had been holding. Kim Ddol-ddol shared that his father said, “I was very worried that you chose the wrong path and would live a devastated life. But seeing you living so joyfully and happily now, I feel relieved.” His father also told him, “Do not be looked down upon by others; always live proudly and victoriously.”

Upon hearing his father's words, Kim Ddol-ddol added, “I thought that this was the part where we needed to have a conversation.” Rather than instantly resolving the conflict, his father's words after the long estrangement served as a starting point for understanding what each person feared and how they viewed one another.

This confession demonstrates that family conflicts surrounding coming out do not simply end as a matter of being for or against. While parental concern and a child's self-identity can clash in different ways, the process of viewing the other's life as it is and continuing a dialogue can become an important catalyst for relationship recovery. Kim Ddol-ddol's experience conveys that understanding does not happen automatically just because of family ties, and that time and sincere communication are required to understand one another.

Read the original (Korean)