Sunmi Opens Up About Being Breadwinner Of Her Family From An Early Age

On the September 10 episode of “Hello Counselor,” Sunmi talked about her experience of having to start taking care of her family at an early age.

KBS’s “Hello Counselor” is a talk show that invites ordinary people to appear and share their personal concerns. The show’s cast and celebrity guests listen to their stories and try to encourage them with their advice.

During the show, one of the concerns involved a mature 16-year-old girl who took care of her younger siblings and helped with the household chores. Sunmi said that she could relate to her, explaining, “When I was younger, my father got sick, so I had to be the breadwinner of our household.”

She continued, “I have two younger brothers. I nursed my father throughout my time as a trainee. My brothers were enrolled in school, so I took care of them. When I have the time to think about it, there are things that come to mind and make me feel suddenly emotional. I was 15 or 16 years old at that time.”

The 16-year-old girl on the show then revealed that she was struggling with her many responsibilities, saying, “I underwent an examination at school, and they suspected that I had depression. Before I go to sleep, I often have the thought that I want to give up on everything. These days, I fall asleep exhausted from crying.”

Sunmi responded, “These are not the concerns that a 16-year-old should be having. The stress caused by the housework has added to her stress from school.”

She then expressed her frustration with the girl’s father, who couldn’t understand his daughter’s troubles, and reminded him that his daughter was only 16 years old.

“Hello Counselor” airs every Monday at 11:10 p.m. KST.

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