Kim Jung-tae Moves to Smaller Home to Support Family After Liver Cancer Battle, Leaving Family Heartbroken on ‘Dad and I’

Kim Jung-tae has moved into a smaller home for the sake of his family.

On April 30, TV Chosun’s ‘Dad and I’ released a preview for the 71st episode airing May 6 through its official channel. The clip shows Kim Jung-tae moving to a more cramped residence to cut down on living expenses.

Kim Jung-tae explained, “I’ve lived alone in Gwangju, Gyeonggi-do, away from my family for about two years. This was the morning of my move.” He shared his reasoning, saying, “I thought it would be better to reduce the money I spend and use that for my children instead.” Watching this, Han Hye-jin expressed her admiration, noting, “He really only thinks about his family.”

When his family visited the new home, they were heartbroken while looking around. Although the new place was a clean duplex, it was smaller than his previous home. The children felt bad, mentioning that “the ceiling is low” and “you can’t even stand up here.” His wife shared her honest feelings, saying, “It’s heartbreaking that he’d stay in a small house just to save even a little bit.”

His eldest son, Ji-hoo, asked, “Dad, how does it feel to live alone in Seoul?” Kim Jung-tae honestly admitted, “I’m lonely.” He added, “When I go to Busan, I get to play around with you guys,” and noted, “Still, I’ve been commuting between Seoul and Busan for 35 years, so I’m okay. Dad can’t afford to get exhausted,” drawing attention for his strength.

Later, in an interview with the production team, Ji-hoo brought tears to viewers’ eyes by saying, “I think it must be hard for Dad to travel back and forth,” and “I know how much Dad loves our family.”

Born in 1973, Kim Jung-tae debuted in the 1999 film ‘The Rebellion of Lee Jae-soo’ and became well-known through roles in ‘Friend’, ‘Sunflower’, and ‘Ddonggae’. On the April 29 episode of TV Chosun’s ‘Dad and I’, he revealed, “I had liver cancer surgery in November 2018.”

TV Chosun’s ‘Dad and I’ airs every Wednesday at 10 PM.