Baek Il Seob: ‘I Don’t Plan on Attending My Wife’s Funeral’

Actor Baek Il Seob has opened up about his estranged wife.

On the broadcast of TV Chosun’s Daddy and Me on April 24, Baek and his daughter Baek Ji Eun visited a therapist together.

Baek’s daughter said, “I don’t talk directly about my mom and dad. I think they don’t watch the show,” and added, “Even though I shouldn’t feel guilty, I strangely feel guilty when I do the show.” She also expressed uncertainty about whether her mother would understand her efforts to get along with her father.

Baek’s daughter revealed that she wanted to take care of her mother, who had a recurrence of cancer ten years after surgery, but she couldn’t visit her mother, who lives with her brother, because her brother showed disdain towards her father.

“I kept reflecting on why I didn’t do this or that and lost sleep because of it,” Baek shared as he started to reflect on the things he had forgotten during his appearance on the show.

He continued, “I felt sorry for my daughter and son. When I left the house, all the children were on their mother’s side, so our relationships were not good.” He added, “Later, my son approached me first, saying, ‘I understand, father,’ and I was able to reconcile with my daughter after seven years.”

However, about his wife, he shared, “Since I left after seeing her recover from surgery, I don’t know anything about her after that.”

He added, “I have no reason to think about my wife. My daughter-in-law talks about her sometimes, but I refuse to listen.”

The counselor asked Baek, “Don’t you think there is an end to a person’s life? Have you ever thought about that?” Baek responded, “I don’t think about it. I took responsibility until I left the house. After that, the children will take care of it.”

He also said, “I left with no attachment. I don’t even plan to go to the funeral.”

He shared why he did not get a divorce, stating, “I want to get a divorce, but we need to go to court together, and the process is complicated.”

Baek Il Seob, who debuted as a theater actor in 1964, is active in various commercials, movies, dramas, and broadcasts.

Recently, Baek chose to separate after 40 years of marriage and live apart from his wife.