'Abnormal Summit' Robin touches on the issue of 'kirogi fathers'

Article: 'Abnormal Summit' Robin, "In Europe, the family is centered around the parents. 'Kirogi fathers' would never make sense here"

Source: TV Daily via Nate

When asked if he could become a 'Kirogi father' for the sake of his child's future, French representative Robin replied, "I think Europe shares the same sentiment in that families are centered around the parents. It is not the children. The family can be broken up if the parents are broken up." Russian representative Ilya agreed, "Studying abroad is for the child, it makes no sense for the parents to be split up for that. If a child wants to study abroad, the child should find the means to go on his own."

'Kirogi fathers' is a longstanding issue in Korea stemming from the country's obsession with teaching their children English. To give their kids a better immersion into the language, fathers will send their wife and children overseas while he stays behind in Korea, often living in one room goshiwons to minimize expenses as much as possible. He sends all of the money he makes to his family overseas, minimizing his life as much as possible to be able to afford the lifestyle.

1. [+123, -3] I think he's right. The center of a family is the parents and if the parents are split up, that can only split up the family too.

2. [+118, -4] If parents truly want their kids to grow up well, they need to be a positive example for them. Fathers who spend all day at work and eat quick meals at convenience stores "for the sake of their child" will not be remembered as true fathers by their children. Children will grow up thinking their father is a money making machine. These fathers will live the rest of their lives in goshiwons.

3. [+8, -0] I don't get what the point of getting married is if you're going to live separately like that

4. [+7, -0] A bitter reality

5. [+6, -2] It's all because of English. The government itself is pushing for the need of English so hard.

6. [+1, -0] I see a lot of kirogi fathers at my goshitel... Their wives sometimes visit over the weekend but it makes me think that I'd rather not get married than live like that.

7. Our country's so obsessed with English that families live out of their means to send their kids overseas...

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