South Korean actress Son Ye-jin (손예진) recently spoke out about her son being photographed without consent and his face appearing online, admitting her deep concern for her child's privacy. However, as she has frequently shared details about her son in recent shows, interviews, and on her personal social media, her comments have sparked differing opinions among some netizens.
During a May 29 interview in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, related to the Netflix series The Scandal, Son Ye-jin candidly discussed the changes in her life after marriage and childbirth, the joys and challenges of parenting, and even the possibility of her son entering the entertainment industry. She openly shared her life as a mother, a rare move for the star.
Lately, Son Ye-jin has frequently discussed her son on her personal channel and various programs, covering her parenting life and daily routines as a mother. Many fans have resonated with her natural sharing of family life.
However, during this recent interview, Son Ye-jin's attitude was noticeably more cautious when addressing her son being photographed without consent and his face being exposed. She revealed that when she and her family are out, they are often recognized by the public, and sometimes people secretly take photos with their phones. In such situations, she even personally asks them to delete the pictures.
Son Ye-jin stated that both she and her husband, Hyun Bin (현빈), are public figures, and to some extent, they must be prepared for public attention. However, their son is still very young, and if his face is exposed, it could restrict his daily life in the future. Therefore, she is particularly sensitive about her child's appearance and identity being made public.
The majority of reactions have expressed understanding for Son Ye-jin's desire to protect her young child's portrait rights and privacy. Many believe that a child being photographed without consent and having their pictures posted online, simply because their parents are famous actors, is completely different from celebrities themselves being in the public eye.
However, some netizens have also expressed confusion regarding Son Ye-jin's frequent discussions about her son recently. Some argue that Son Ye-jin has proactively talked about her son's appearance, personality, and even the possibility of him entering the entertainment industry, which has, to some extent, increased public curiosity about the child. Now, facing heightened attention, she expresses the burden of excessive public interest, leading some to perceive an inconsistency.
Comments online included various opinions such as, "Wouldn't it be better to talk less about her son?" "It seems like she's the most active in sharing," "When the child grows up, what the parents say now might become a burden for him," and "It would be better to raise the child quietly."
However, it is still necessary to clearly distinguish between two things.
Parents proactively sharing their child's life stories on shows or in interviews is clearly a completely different issue from secretly photographing a young child without their consent and then publishing the photos online. Even if parents have proactively discussed their child, it does not mean that the public can arbitrarily photograph or publicly display the child's face.
On the other hand, the attention this discussion has garnered is also related to the image Son Ye-jin has presented to the public in recent years.
Having debuted many years ago, Son Ye-jin has been loved by audiences of all ages for her diverse acting skills and ability to embody various roles. After marrying Hyun Bin and having a child, she continues to be involved in acting projects while also showcasing a more natural and approachable side through her personal channel and variety shows, significantly narrowing the distance with her fans.
Especially in recent years, she has not only shared the side of "actress Son Ye-jin" but has also more candidly discussed her daily life as a wife and mother. The pride and happiness she expresses when talking about her son are also seen by many as part of her approachable image. It is precisely because of this that public curiosity about her family life has naturally increased.
What Son Ye-jin seems to want to maintain now is the boundary of "being able to share family life, but not wanting her child to lose privacy because of it." For her, discussing her son's life and her child's face being photographed without authorization and photos being published are indeed two different things.
However, as she continues to share her family life in the future, how she balances sharing family topics with the public while protecting her son's privacy will remain a focus of public attention.
