Actor Kang Sung Jin And Wife Under Massive Fire For Hosting Their Son’s “First Wet Dream Party” On TV
On May 16, 2020, an episode of JTBC‘s cable TV program Normal Family showed the Korean actor Kang Sung Jin and his family hosting a party…
… celebrating the “coming-of-age” of the teen-aged son Kang Min Woo — marked by his “first wet dream“.
Nocturnal emission is not supposed to be embarrassing. It should be respected and celebrated. It shows that you’ve become old enough and that you’re now going to be fully responsible for your actions.
— Kang Sung Jin
Kang Sung Jin explained to his son that the idea came from “The popular sex-ed expert Son Kyung Yi” — who is well known for her lectures for Korean families to be open and comfortable around sexual health.
She said girls have first period parties. But boys don’t really have things to celebrate. So we’re congratulating and honoring your growing-up by celebrating your first wet dream.
— Kang Sung Jin
The son seemed flustered by the idea…
… as were the viewers. Many voiced concerns for the potential consequences of this episode airing — one of the strongest being the possibility of the son being teased at school and overall traumatized by the fact that “everyone knows about his wet dream now.”
- “I am dying from secondhand embarrassment. This is TMI, seriously.”
- “Are they aware that teenagers have feelings too and can feel ashamed?”
- “Stop pretending to be woke adults in an open-minded society. This isn’t that at all, this is simply crossing the line.”
- “Wow… I mean I’m all for the celebrating the occasion. But to do it on TV?”
- “I don’t know, this feels like borderline abuse to me. How is the son supposed to deal with this in his puberty-stricken age?”
- “Can you imagine the sheer amount of mocking the son is going to get at school? They’re going to tease him to powder.”
- “I really, really, really hope that they asked the son’s permission to air this on TV.”
- “Poor kid… I hope this doesn’t become an irreparable trauma for him.”
Others criticized the parents for “using the son” for the episode — and ultimately money. Later in a separate interview, the son did share that he “felt uncomfortable at first“, though he came around to see it as “a fun experience.”
I think I might be the first in my city to have had this party…
— Kang Min Woo
Regardless, viewers remain disappointed in the program Normal Family and Kang Sung Jin for “making the decision for the teenager who may not have felt like he had a say.”
Neither the program nor the family has responded to the controversy.
Watch the full clip here:
