Couple on 'Marriage Hell' in Crisis: Stay-at-home Dad vs. Working Mom's Heated Conflict

A dramatic conflict between a stay-at-home dad on parental leave and his working-mom wife was revealed on MBC's 'Oh Eun Young Report - Marriage Hell'.

The episode, which aired on the 20th, featured the first-ever couple on the show where the husband was on parental leave. The husband, who has been on leave for 20 months to care for their three children and manage household chores, desperately wishes to return to his job as a marine police officer. However, his wife, a design engineer, vehemently opposes his return.

During the broadcast, the wife exhibited extreme reactions to her husband's minor mistakes and tone of voice, even sending him aggressive text messages filled with profanity. She confessed that when she gets angry, everything feels unfair and uncontrollable, and her husband's failure to keep small promises feels like intentional disregard.

Her husband, overwhelmed, cried out to the production crew, "I feel like I'm going crazy, it's unbearable," expressing his distress despite his apologies to the children.

Financial issues also fueled their conflict. The husband had invested 150 million won (approximately $115,000 USD) based on a friend's recommendation, but the prospects of recovering the principal are uncertain. The situation worsened with the news that the friend who advised the investment had passed away, shocking the studio.

The wife revealed, "I earn over 100 million won (approximately $77,000 USD) annually, but we live off a line of credit, with over 2 million won (approximately $1,500 USD) in interest payments monthly." She urged her husband to find a way to recover at least the principal. The husband, tearfully, expressed his disappointment in his wife's focus on money in the face of death.

Dr. Oh Eun Young diagnosed the couple's differing personalities: the husband embodies a 'go with the flow' attitude, while the wife is precise and highly responsible. She explained that the husband might perceive his wife as harsh, and the wife could find her husband exasperating. She also suggested the wife's reactions stemmed from childhood trauma, where she experienced bullying from relatives, leading her to project those feelings onto her husband.

Dr. Oh advised the wife to allow her husband to return to work, assuring her that the current environment with three children is different from her own difficult childhood. She urged the husband to understand his wife's need for validation and to be more accommodating.

Having prepared divorce papers, the couple shared heartfelt apologies and promises to change, offering a glimmer of hope.

Korean netizens reacted with a mix of sympathy for the husband and understanding, though some pointed out the wife's reactions were excessive. Comments included, "The husband's situation is heartbreaking," "The wife's anxiety is understandable, but her behavior is too much," and "Hoping Dr. Oh's advice helps them overcome this."