Former SBS announcer Kim Su-min feels guilty over weekly childcare allowance

Former SBS announcer Kim Su-min expressed remorse on social media regarding the 100,000 won weekly allowance she provides her mother, who arrives every morning at 7 a.m. to handle childcare for Kim's two children.

Former SBS announcer Kim Su-min has expressed both gratitude and guilt toward her mother, who is responsible for dropping off and picking up her two children following Kim's re-employment. She candidly shared that she provides her mother with a weekly allowance of 100,000 won, as her mother arrives every morning at 7 a.m. to care for her grandchildren. Kim opened up about the reality of relying on her parents to balance work and childcare.

On the 22nd, Kim shared updates regarding her new job and daily life through her social media (SNS) accounts. Amidst the changes in her life following her re-employment, she revealed the practical challenges of raising two children while maintaining a professional career.

When a netizen asked how she manages childcare while working, Kim replied, "My mother comes every morning at 7 a.m. and takes charge of the children's drop-offs and pick-ups." Her mother's dedicated assistance has played a major role in allowing Kim to continue her professional life.

The conversation naturally led to a question regarding how much she pays her mother for the help. Kim disclosed, "If I were leaving two children in someone's care, 100,000 won would be a daily rate, but I give 100,000 won as a weekly allowance." This was an honest confession regarding the weekly amount she provides to her mother, who is responsible for the daily drop-offs and pick-ups of both children.

She added, "It is just a token of my appreciation, so I am quite an unfilial daughter. Mom, I'm sorry." It appears she expressed this remorse because she understands better than anyone that it is difficult to fully compensate her mother's labor with money. Beyond simply disclosing childcare costs, her words captured the burden and gratitude of managing work and home by relying on family support.

For parents balancing professional life with raising children, childcare is a practical concern. Especially with two young children, matching drop-off and pick-up times with work schedules is difficult. While Kim continues her daily routine with her mother's help, she candidly shared her feelings of guilt when considering the time and labor her mother endures in the process.

Kim drew significant attention when she joined SBS in 2018 as the youngest announcer before leaving the station in 2021. Since then, she has married and has one son and one daughter. Early last year, she was accepted to the UCLA School of Law, where she completed a master's program with a full scholarship.

Recently, she began her professional life again after finding a new job and has been sharing her daily life of balancing work and childcare through social media. Her words, "Mom, I'm sorry," reflect both her gratitude toward her mother for being a source of strength that allows her to work, and the heart of a daughter who feels she cannot give back as much as she receives.

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