Lee Hyun-yi: "My mother-in-law does all the cooking"—Despite being the eldest daughter-in-law

Model Lee Hyun-yi revealed a story completely different from the holiday scenes one might easily imagine under the title of 'eldest daughter-in-law.' Since her husband is the eldest son, the in-laws gather at Lee Hyun-yi's house during holidays, but the holiday food is actually handled entirely by her mother-in-law. Attention is being drawn to this unexpected scene where the mother-in-law takes responsibility for the cooking instead of the daughter-in-law struggling in the kitchen.

On the 3rd, a video titled 'What happens when three women gather at a jjimjilbang' was released on the YouTube channel 'Working Mom Lee Hyun-yi.' On this day, Lee Hyun-yi spent time at a jjimjilbang with singer Byul and actress Kim Seong Eun, sharing honest stories about married life, family, and holidays.

When the topic of holidays came up, Lee Hyun-yi cautiously opened the conversation, saying, "Did you have a good holiday? It's a joyful holiday for everyone, but sometimes it can be hard for daughters-in-law." As all three are married women, stories about in-laws and holidays naturally followed, and Byul asked Lee Hyun-yi, "Did you go to your in-laws' house for the holiday?"

Lee Hyun-yi's answer was unexpected. She revealed, "Since my husband is the eldest son, they come to our house." Generally, when the eldest son's house becomes the location for holiday family gatherings, it is easy to imagine the daughter-in-law taking significant responsibility for food preparation and welcoming guests, but Lee Hyun-yi's case was different.

Lee Hyun-yi explained, "I carry things and set the table, and my mother does all the cooking. In my kitchen. My mother does it all." Although Lee Hyun-yi's house is where the family gathers, the mother-in-law is essentially in charge of the food preparation. Lee Hyun-yi explained that rather than meaning she completely lets go, she plays the role of carrying and setting the table after the food is finished, but it is certainly a scene different from the stereotype of 'eldest daughter-in-law = in charge of holiday food.'

In particular, the fact that the mother-in-law directly prepares holiday food in the daughter-in-law's kitchen also drew attention. As times change, the landscape of holidays is also gradually changing, but who is in charge of a family's food preparation remains a sensitive issue for married women. In this context, Lee Hyun-yi's case is being accepted as a holiday scene of a family where members naturally divide roles.

While listening to Lee Hyun-yi's confession, Kim Seong Eun also brought up a unique anecdote related to her own mother-in-law. Kim Seong Eun surprised Lee Hyun-yi by revealing she had experience going to a public bathhouse with her mother-in-law before marriage. She explained, "We went to the countryside to play before marriage. So we went to the bathhouse together." It was a moment that showed the relationship between the two, who became naturally close even before marriage.

In this way, the conversation among the three went beyond simple stories of holiday food and carried an atmosphere that the relationship between daughters-in-law and mothers-in-law is changing from the past. Rather than a traditional holiday scene where people argue over who has to work more, a scene where they naturally divide roles and build relationships in their own ways emerged.

Lee Hyun-yi married Samsung Electronics engineer Hong Seong-gi in 2012. The couple had their first son in 2015 and is raising two sons, having welcomed their second son in 2019. Lee Hyun-yi, who has revealed her work, parenting, and married life through broadcasts and SNS, has once again garnered attention by revealing an unexpected holiday scene hidden behind the title of 'eldest daughter-in-law.'

In particular, unlike the past when it was considered natural to shoulder holiday labor simply because one was the 'wife of the eldest son,' in Lee Hyun-yi's house, the mother-in-law takes responsibility for the kitchen directly while the daughter-in-law takes on other roles. Ultimately, we are in an era where the appearance of holidays varies for every family. This is exactly why the small but unexpected holiday scene revealed by Lee Hyun-yi is drawing attention.