Finnish YouTuber and entertainer Leo Ranta, who resides in Korea, recently opened up on a television program about a painful past marriage. He revealed that his Korean ex-wife initiated a "disappearing divorce," leaving him still unaware of why their relationship ended, a revelation that shocked many viewers.
Appearing on the SBS variety show Dolsing Fourmen (탈掉鞋子恢單4Men), which aired on May 2, Ranta shared his life story alongside actor Cha Tae-hyun (차태현) and singer Kim Jong-min (김종민). His divorce was revealed early in the program, and Ranta did not shy away, candidly discussing his past marriage when questioned by Kim Jun-ho (김준호). He stated that the separation occurred in Finland, but his ex-wife was not Finnish, adding, "I've actually never dated a Finn."
Ranta further disclosed that he married his ex-wife after dating for about a year, shortly after becoming an adult. Their marriage lasted approximately four years, ending in divorce eight years ago.
Regarding the reason for their separation, Ranta explained that his ex-wife expressed a desire to study English abroad and subsequently left the country. Unexpectedly, she completely cut off contact after going overseas. He stated, "She wasn't a bad person, but even now, I don't know why things turned out that way." He concluded by describing the situation simply: "She just disappeared." This brief statement stunned the other guests into silence and left many viewers feeling sympathetic.
Ranta also touched upon the complexities of divorce procedures in international marriages. He explained that when they married, they had to register their marriage in both Korea and Finland, and the divorce process was equally troublesome. He clarified, "In Finland, you just submit documents, and the divorce is automatically finalized after six months, but in Korea, you have to personally appear in court." Ranta revealed that he later saw his ex-wife again at a Korean court. "The person who had disappeared suddenly reappeared. I don't know what that feeling was like, and in the end, we didn't really talk."
Ranta is currently a popular YouTuber with 750,000 subscribers. He graduated from Yonsei University (연세대학교) with a degree in Computer Science and gained recognition after appearing on JTBC's Non-Summit (비정상회담), where his fluent Korean and humorous wit endeared him to audiences.
The show also mentioned that Ranta's father was previously involved in a business related to North Korean tunnel detectors, a unique family background that had previously sparked discussion. During the program, it was stated that Ranta's "Finnish language proficiency is roughly at a middle school level." When Tak Jae-hoon (탁재훈) asked him to greet in Finnish, Ranta hesitated briefly before simply saying "Hyvä," amusing the guests once more.
Ranta has previously been dubbed a "variety show cheat code" for his straightforward and witty remarks on variety programs. Among foreign entertainers active in Korea, his Korean language skills are exceptional, and he often becomes a topic of conversation for his ability to use precise and unexpected vocabulary in appropriate contexts.
Following the broadcast, many viewers commented, "He spoke very calmly, but it felt very sincere," "His sense of humor and life story blended well," and "His Korean expression is becoming increasingly natural." By maintaining his humor while candidly revealing his past painful marriage story, Ranta showed the public a more authentic and human side of himself.
