Comedian Oh Ji-heon (47) opened up about his privileged early years, the hardships he faced following his parents' divorce, and his journey to rebuild his relationship with his father.
In an episode of MBN's 'While You Were Sick' that aired on the 9th, Oh Ji-heon appeared and shared details of his life story.
Oh Ji-heon said, "My father was a top instructor for Korean history in the early 1990s," adding, "He taught from morning until evening across five combined classrooms. At that time, a single house in Apgujeong was worth 20 to 30 million won, while my father's monthly income was around 50 million won."
He continued, "We lived in a 100-pyeong-sized house with a yard and a swimming pool, and we even had a dedicated driver for my father," recalling his affluent childhood.
However, the family was not happy. Oh Ji-heon stated, "As the son of a wealthy family, I seemed to be as happy as any other child, but in reality, I wasn't happy at all." He further explained, "My father always prioritized work over family, and by my senior year of high school, their relationship had deteriorated so much that they divorced."
After the divorce, Oh Ji-heon lived with his father, but his grades dropped due to severe depression. He revealed, "I wasn't a poor student originally, but although my father didn't intend to belittle me, constantly being compared to top-tier students made it feel like he was ignoring me, which weighed heavily on my heart."
After taking the CSAT, he moved out and went to live with his mother. However, her financial situation after the divorce was far more difficult than Oh Ji-heon had anticipated.
Oh Ji-heon said, "My mother left home with no money after the divorce and lived at my aunt's house. She wasn't employed full-time, surviving day-to-day, and couldn't care for me, so I spent a year at an overnight preparatory academy."
His mother, troubled by being separated from her son, worked hard to earn money to support Oh Ji-heon's education. Oh Ji-heon also took on part-time jobs after entering university to cover his tuition and living expenses.
While participating in a talent competition to raise funds for tuition, he won the grand prize and received 10 million won in prize money. Later, he debuted as a KBS 18th public recruitment comedian in 2003 and became active on 'Gag Concert.'
He remained estranged from his father for eight years. They reunited after receiving news that his grandmother was critically ill, and gradually rebuilt their relationship following his wife's persuasion.
Oh Ji-heon said, "Through various experiences in society, I came to understand my father to some extent." He added, "I only realized that he hadn't neglected me after becoming a father myself."
Meanwhile, Oh Ji-heon debuted as a KBS 18th public recruitment comedian in 2003. He is married to his beautiful wife and has three daughters.
in ENTERTAINMENT
