This is a review-style post based on what aired on the show.
Actress Lee Yo-won appeared as a guest on episode 24 of the tvN STORY variety show 남겨서 뭐하게 (What’s Left to Keep?). During the episode, she directly addressed rumors about her getting married because of an unexpected pregnancy.
“We weren’t a shotgun wedding”
Lee Yo-won and comedian Lee Young-ja shared that they actually knew each other in real life. They used to live in the same apartment complex, but this was their first time meeting on a broadcast.
While talking about the past, Lee Young-ja mentioned that Lee Yo-won married quite early, soon after becoming well-known. Lee Yo-won married in 2003 when she was 23.
People were especially surprised when it came up that her oldest daughter is already 23 and currently a third-year university student. Golf star Park Se-ri couldn’t believe it and said Lee Yo-won looks so young. Park Se-ri even joked that if her daughter were a man, people might mistake him for Lee Yo-won’s boyfriend.
Then Lee Yo-won explained why some people misunderstand her timeline.
She said she got married in January and gave birth in December that same year. Because of that, many assumed it was a “shotgun wedding,” but she clearly said it wasn’t.
She added that even her own daughter asked her about it when she was younger—basically asking, “Was I born because you made a mistake?” Lee Yo-won seemed shocked that so many people think that.
A relaxed mom with a confident attitude
Lee Yo-won also talked about her oldest daughter, who is studying abroad.
She said she isn’t too worried, and joked that she’s thankful as long as she doesn’t get messages asking for money. If her daughter calls saying she ran out of allowance, Lee Yo-won tells her to figure it out on her own.
“I didn’t expect it at all”
When Lee Young-ja asked if there was a moment she felt truly proud of her daughter, Lee Yo-won said it was when she got accepted into university.
She revealed her daughter was accepted to RISD (Rhode Island School of Design), a well-known art and design school in the US.
Lee Yo-won said her daughter originally wanted to go to NYU, but didn’t get in through early admissions. She admitted she didn’t expect the RISD acceptance, and also shared that her daughter didn’t even plan to attend art school at first.
When her daughter didn’t get into NYU, Lee Yo-won said she didn’t comfort her much. Instead, she responded in a very practical way—telling her it was the result of her own work, and reminding her that she should have managed her grades earlier.
Even with that tough-love approach, when asked if she still loves her daughter a lot, Lee Yo-won smiled and said yes.
