Kim Dong-hyun, expecting fourth child, opens up about discipline and postpartum depression

Kim Dong-hyun is adding to his family. He married non-celebrity Song Ha-yul in 2018 and now has one son and two daughters. A fourth child, a son, arrives in October.

On June 27, Kim appeared on the online channel Si-eon School with rapper Nucksal to discuss parenting with host Lee Si-eon. On discipline, he was blunt: "My wife tends to be warm, and I play with them, but when they cross the line, I become very strict." No matter how packed his schedule gets, correcting his kids takes priority. Five minutes or ten—he doesn't skip it.

Postpartum depression came up next. "It definitely comes," he said. "Childcare is 24 hours a day." He and Song Ha-yul both agree the stretch from pregnancy through the first birthday is the hardest. His advice to other husbands was simple: give your wife time to recharge, even if it's brief. She doesn't need anything elaborate. An empty room. Her phone. Good food. Sleep.

(Six years his junior, Song Ha-yul has stayed out of the public eye, but Kim has consistently credited her throughout his parenting interviews.) He framed it as a one-degree shift in mindset: "I also come home tired from hard work, but my wife is also sufficiently tired from childcare. If you acknowledge that and say 'You've worked hard, now let me do it, get some rest,' your wife gains strength and you both show consideration for each other."

The fourth baby is due in October.