[E-Daily Starin Gim Ga Yeong Reporter] The story of a couple who had not been intimate for six years and who, after appearing on “Divorce Cooling-Off Camp,” gave birth to their second child—a 16-month-old—through in vitro fertilization has been revealed, sparking widespread sympathy.

On the episode of JTBC’s “Divorce Reflection Camp” that aired on the 20th, the show featured the final household assessment and a tearful, in-depth couples counseling session for the “Petty Couple,” the last couple in the 23rd season.
The first half of the broadcast unfolded the story of the “Penny-Pinching Couple”—which had shocked the studio—and the full story behind the dramatic reversal in public opinion. When the husband was shown having a power struggle with his 6-year-old son over an ice cream cone and mentioning divorce, Director Seo Jang-hoon was dumbfounded, remarking, “If they divorced over that, it would be a first in the country.” However, the video from the husband’s perspective that was revealed next left the studio in a somber mood.
It was revealed that the husband had been deeply hurt not only by his wife’s dismissive attitude—when he asked to exercise due to severe back pain, she brushed him off by saying, “Taking care of the kids is exercise”—but also by her cold reaction during a past truck rollover accident caused by her urging him to drive: “Are you making excuses for yourself?”
The mystery surrounding the birth of their 16-month-old second child—despite the couple having had no marital relations for six years—was revealed to be the result of “in vitro fertilization performed without marital relations.” In response, family investigator Lee Dong-geon expressed the husband’s loneliness, stating, “The husband’s self-esteem must have been completely shattered.”
Furthermore, it was revealed that the husband had been thoroughly alienated within the household—to the point where even his first child would hit him—and that his wife had been disregarding him based on his financial contributions. Even Director Seo Jang-hoon took the husband’s side, saying, “I’d be upset too if I were in his shoes,” and the studio erupted in deep sighs and expressions of sympathy.
During individual and couples counseling sessions with counselor Lee Ho-seon, deeply buried emotional wounds came to the surface. The husband poured out his heart to Lee Ho-seon and, like someone who had just been dumped, pulled out a towel and wept uncontrollably. To the wife, who claimed she felt betrayed by her husband, he retorted, “It was you who betrayed me.”
Counselor Lee Ho-seon warmly comforted the wife, saying, “There are no villains here, just two exhausted people,” and proposed a “hug” solution: welcoming her husband home warmly when he gets off work and speaking words of affirmation to him. Afterward, the couple—whose paths had long been at odds—finally reached out to each other and offered heartfelt comfort. Expectations are high to see whether the “petty couple,” having completed this tearful solution, will be able to break down the walls of their long-standing conflict and achieve a dramatic reconciliation.
“Divorce Reflection Camp” is a program featuring the stories of couples seeking to refresh their lives. It has been generating buzz every week as couples on the brink of divorce appear on the show to reflect on their married lives.
“Divorce Reflection Camp” airs every Thursday at 10 p.m.