Actor Choi Soo-jong has opened up about the painful family history behind his reputation as one of the entertainment industry’s most devoted husbands, crediting his wife Ha Hee-ra’s four miscarriages with changing how he sees family. The couple shared their story on the October 14 broadcast of tvN’s ‘You Quiz on the Block’ episode 364, a special titled “Thirty Autumns.”
The couple, celebrating their 33rd wedding anniversary this year, appeared as guests alongside other featured stars. Host Yoo Jae-suk noted that even AI names Choi Soo-jong as the industry’s top “loving husband” and asked whether the image felt burdensome. Choi replied that living up to it keeps him on the right path. Then, as reported by MHN Sports and MyDaily, he turned reflective: “If it weren’t for Ha Hee-ra’s four miscarriages, I might have been just like other husbands.” He explained that enduring the repeated losses taught him how precious children are and that a child is born as an individual person — which is why he tries to treat his wife better and take on more of the hard work at home.
Ha Hee-ra also used the appearance to address malicious rumors that had shadowed the couple. According to MoneyToday, she revealed she was shocked to hear a baseless rumor that Choi drank and hit her, and said they explained the truth directly to their children so they would judge by what they saw of their parents. She recalled first seeing Choi on television and being struck by his natural smile, then meeting him in a KBS lobby — he is seven years her senior. Choi added that his own mother, watching Ha on TV, had said she would love a daughter-in-law like her.
The episode struck a chord with viewers. Per Ilgan Sports and Star News, it peaked at a 4.8% nationwide rating, topping its time slot across cable and general channels, and ranked No. 3 in Good Data Corporation’s FUNdex TV non-drama buzz for the second week of October. MyDaily also reported an emotional moment as Choi wept remembering his mother, who had died just before the recording.
Ha Hee-ra has spoken about the miscarriages before: three before their first child and one before their second, a period during which she considered quitting acting. Married since 1993, the couple have a son and a daughter. From November 15, they will appear together in the play ‘Love Letter’ — their first time sharing a stage since their debuts. Their decades-long marriage remains one of Korean entertainment’s most cited examples of lasting love.
