Kim Yoon-ju ♥ Kwon Jeong yeol, 12 Years of Marriage Without Children: "Respecting 10CM's Music"

Kim Yoon-ju of the band Rooftop Moonlight revealed her honest thoughts regarding the background of why she and her husband, singer 10CM Kwon Jeong yeol, have not had children even though 12 years have passed since their marriage. It was not that they had decided from the beginning whether to have children or not. She explained that as time passed while living day by day, there was also a desire not to influence her husband's musical activities. Amidst social perspectives that view marriage and childbirth as a natural sequence of life, their story is drawing attention.

On the 8th, in the content 'Donkitaka' on the YouTube channel KakaoBank, Kim Ho-young, Bae Yoon-jung, Kim Yoon-ju, and Yozoh appeared to discuss the topic 'Is marriage and childbirth a necessity or a choice?' In the process of sharing their respective thoughts surrounding marriage and childbirth, Kim Yoon-ju spoke candidly not only about her married life with Kwon Jeong yeol but also regarding their plans for children.

Kim Yoon-ju married in 2014 after dating Kwon Jeong yeol for about two years. Looking back at the time she married at age 31, she explained that they arrived at marriage naturally. She said with a laugh, "I now understand what people mean when they say 'marry when you don't know much.'" She noted that there were many similarities in the family environments of both sides, and such commonalities worked positively for her. She also showed a humble side, stating that she does not remember the specific occasion that led her to decide on marriage.

Regarding plans for children after marriage, they did not have a clear answer set from the beginning. Kim Yoon-ju stated, "I don't think we ever properly thought about the idea that we must have children, or the idea that we must not have children." She continued, "After getting married at 31, we just lived day by day, and it turned out like this after passing forty." She added that there was also a feeling that they should think about children after establishing a certain level of economic foundation.

What particularly drew attention was her confession that she considered her husband Kwon Jeong yeol's musical activities. Kim Yoon-ju mentioned that the lyrics of the songs her husband sings at performances are often themed around love, and stated that she thought about how marriage and forming a family might affect the emotions of his music. She confessed that while it was not a big problem for her, she also had the desire not to influence her husband's work.

Kim Yoon-ju said, "I think I personally had the thought that since he is in the middle of doing his work so hard, if he suddenly had a baby, the songs changing from love stories to life stories might 'not suit 10CM' so much." While she did not assert that childbirth would actually change the direction of the music, it was a part where she revealed her personal contemplation of wanting to respect the musical image and creative activities her husband has built up.

These remarks show that the choice surrounding childbirth is not merely a matter of whether one likes children or whether one has economic abundance. Depending on how a couple coordinates their respective professions, lifestyles, and expectations for the future, plans for children can vary. Especially for artists who receive public attention, there can exist concerns about how changes in private life will mesh with the image of their works or their creative direction. Kim Yoon-ju's confession can be seen as an instance where such concerns influenced the couple's choice.

Of course, becoming a parent does not mean one cannot sing of love, nor does it mean that musical identity must necessarily change. An artist's creative world can expand in various ways depending on individual experiences and emotions. Kim Yoon-ju's remarks should be understood not as a claim about the universal impact of childbirth on music, but as an honest disclosure of the thoughts she had while watching her husband's activities at the time.

In Korean society, marriage and childbirth have long been considered a natural life process that follows sequentially. However, recently, there is a growing perception that not only whether to marry but also whether to have children, when to have them, and how to form a family should be matters chosen by individuals and couples. Amidst these changes, the perspective that demands an explanation from childless couples or judges the nature of a marriage solely based on whether they have children can still act as a burden.

Kim Yoon-ju and Kwon Jeong yeol have continued their respective musical activities since marrying in 2014. Kim Yoon-ju's recent confession is closer to a statement showing how thoughts surrounding the choice were formed as time passed, rather than a definitive statement of what conclusion the two reached regarding children. Rather than presenting a correct answer for marriage and childbirth, their story poses a question to the social perspective on family forms and happiness in that it suggests that the different life conditions and values of each couple should be respected.

Read the original (Korean)