"Everyone else lives like that too"… Seo Jang-hoon delivers a sharp rebuke to a delivery driver husband following wife's comparisons

A deep conflict has been revealed between a delivery driver husband who spends 12 hours a day on the road and a wife who appeals the hardships of sole childcare. In a case of a couple revealed through JTBC's 'Divorce Camp', the difference in perspectives surrounding the value of labor and the division of childcare was starkly divergent.

"Working 12 hours but income is low?"… The reality of delivery labor pointed out by Seo Jang-hoon

The husband, who has been continuing delivery agency work for seven years, stated that he works an average of 12 hours a day and earns about 4 million to 5 million won per month. Since the baby was born, his income has decreased slightly as the time he spends at home for childcare has increased. Regarding this, Seo Jang-hoon, acting as a counselor, mentioned that the income is somewhat low compared to working 12 hours every day in the Seoul area, and shared an observation that the break time during working hours seems somewhat excessive.

The husband cited the increased time spent at home for childcare as the cause of the decrease in income. In particular, in a situation where he has decided to take responsibility for his wife's 30 million won debt, the husband showed a stance of continuing to work while taking physical risks for the family. Due to the nature of the job involving riding a motorcycle, he expressed the physical hardships of having to go out on the road even on rainy or snowy days.

"Childcare should be 50/50" vs "This is enough help"... Diverging views on childcare

The core of the couple's conflict was the division of childcare and housework. The wife emphasized the view that childcare should be split "50/50" and said she had been encouraging the husband's participation, such as inducing him to bathe the child in the morning before he leaves for work. The wife appealed the physical and mental fatigue she experiences while caring for the child alone during the day.

On the other hand, the husband claimed that he is contributing sufficiently to housework and childcare. The husband felt that the wife's demands were excessive and expressed frustration regarding the conflicts that arise in the process of taking care of the child after returning from working hard outside. In particular, he reacted that his self-esteem drops when the wife makes remarks that seem to disparage his efforts by comparing him to other workers.

Wounds to self-esteem caused by comparison, 'Contribution to housework' as seen by experts

During the counseling process, the tension increased when the wife made a remark dismissing the husband's efforts as a general level, saying, "Everyone else lives that hard too." In response, the counseling team pointed out that in a situation where the husband is making efforts, such as working two jobs to make a living, a way of communicating that compares him to others can lower a man's self-esteem.

The cast member performing the role of a housework investigator evaluated from an objective perspective that the husband tends to help a lot with housework. Pointing out that the husband is participating in household chores while also performing 12 hours of hard labor a day, they raised questions about to what extent the standard of "50/50 childcare" demanded by the wife is realistic. The couple ran in parallel lines, showing a large gap in the way they recognize each other's labor value and childcare burden.

Source: JTBC Entertainment (YouTube)