Actor Lee Tae-sung has opened up about the difficult reality of dating as a single father, confessing that his girlfriends always came second to his son.
According to Xports News, the actor made the confession on the October 17 broadcast of MBN’s talk show “Dongchimi,” where he appeared alongside Kim Ha-young and Lee Ga-don for an episode themed on finding love this fall.
Lee, who debuted at 19 while still in high school, said he has played out plenty of romantic confessions and proposals on screen but has never actually been on a blind date in real life. “Having a son made dating really difficult,” he admitted.
Recalling the years after his divorce, Lee said dating never came easily. When his son Han-seung was young, his girlfriends would want to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day together over a good meal, but his first thought was always that he needed to hurry back to his son. “My son’s gifts came before dates or gifts for my girlfriend, and my girlfriend was always the afterthought,” he said. Even while enjoying a nice meal or an outing with her, he kept wondering “is it OK for me to be like this,” and felt apologetic toward her.
When asked why he didn’t simply let the two meet, Lee said he was cautious because his son was young and could have been confused. “Now that he’s grown, he understands, but back then it was burdensome and difficult,” he said.
Born in 1985, Lee registered his marriage in 2012 with a partner seven years his senior and later revealed he had a son. The couple divorced in 2015, and his son, born in 2011, previously appeared on SBS’s “My Ugly Duckling.” He is now in his twelfth year since the divorce.
