Um Yoon-kyung, the wife of actor Kwon Oh-joong, shared the heartwarming news that their son Hyuk-jun, who has become a painter, has sold his artwork.
On May 12, Um Yoon-kyung posted several photos on her social media, writing, “I am so grateful and honored that the works Hyuk-jun painted with love and joy can be shared for a lifetime with precious collectors.”
She added, “To the precious collectors who acquired ‘Sunflowers Planted in a Pot’ and ‘Water Stream Where Sunflowers Do Not Wither,’ I pray that comfort, peace, and blessings are always with you. I hope my sincerity is well delivered. Thank you and blessings to you.”
The shared photos featured Um Yoon-kyung, Hyuk-jun, and Kwon Oh-joong. Hyuk-jun participated as an artist in the Daegu Art Fair held from May 7 to May 10.
Previously, Um Yoon-kyung expressed her gratitude, saying, “On the first day of the exhibition, I was so nervous. I want to thank the visitors who specifically came to support and love the work of artist Hyuk-jun as he humbly and carefully takes his first steps on the path of an artist. Thank you.”
Meanwhile, Kwon Oh-joong married Um Yoon-kyung, who is six years his senior and a non-celebrity, in 1996. They have a son, Hyuk-jun, who suffers from a rare developmental disability.
Appearing on the KBS 1TV variety show ‘Hwang Shin-hye’s Let’s Live Together’ on the 30th of last month, Kwon Oh-joong spoke about his son. He revealed, “It is that rare. It was first known globally in 2014, and I found out in 2018. There is no cure, and there are no doctors developing one.”
Kwon Oh-joong explained, “Our child was the first. I heard there are a few more since then, but there are fewer than a dozen worldwide. It is incredibly rare. Treating such a disease would require hundreds of billions of won from doctors and pharmaceutical companies, but they only develop them if there are many patients. In Hyuk-jun’s case, there aren’t enough patients, so from their perspective, there is no reason to do it. Even if they did, they said it would take about 14 years because clinical trials are necessary, which makes it difficult.”
Kwon Oh-joong also confessed that his son was a victim of school violence. He shared, “When he went to school, he was always alone on the playground. I don’t resent those children. They are young, so they can’t communicate well, and children who can’t play well inevitably become outcasts. It’s not that they bully on purpose. Young children don’t know better. When he went to middle school, he said he didn’t want to go.”
He continued, “He told me someone hit him in the stomach at school. When it happened again, I went to meet them. But the other party said, ‘I played with him so well.’ I felt so sorry for them that I apologized. When I got home, I scolded my son. Later, I got a call saying my son was hurt and needed to go to the emergency room. It turned out my son had been bullied by five people for a year.”
Kwon Oh-joong added, “They pretended to be friendly, then took him to the bathroom to hit him in the stomach, beat him with sticks, and made him crawl. While my son was looking at a window, he was pushed into it, and glass shards became embedded in his neck. We called the police, and during the investigation, the truth came out. That’s when I realized how much he had suffered for a year. I feel so sorry. The leader of the group transferred to another school. The worst part is that if they choose to transfer, it doesn’t stay on their academic record. The others are still there. They just changed classes. Even if the class is different, the bullying continues. It doesn’t change. It’s truly cruel.”
