Grandmother in Gangjin balances nursing elderly relatives and raising grandson

A grandmother in Gangjin, Jeollanam-do, is raising her second-grade grandson while simultaneously caring for her 90-year-old mother-in-law and her husband, who suffers from hydrocephalus. Despite her grandson being a top student, the family struggles in a 70-year-old house where extreme cold forced the boy to an emergency room last winter.

In a rural home in Gangjin, Jeollanam-do, the sound of an abacus fills the air from early morning. Tae-seo begins each day studying with his grandmother, who has begun teaching him the abacus in the hope that her only grandson will live a comfortable life without physical hardship. Beyond the abacus, she is dedicated to his education, teaching the second-grade student third-grade mathematics in advance.

As a result, Tae-seo is a top student in his class and serves as class president. To better support him, the grandmother prepares math lessons in advance and uses answer keys to explain concepts at Tae-seo's level. Her devotion stems from a significant life change: four years ago, Tae-seo came to live with her after his parents, the eldest son and his wife, separated. While she initially worried about raising a grandchild at her age, Tae-seo felt like a second chance to care for a child after being too busy working to properly look after her own children in her youth. Raising Tae-seo well has become the primary goal of her later years.

The grandmother married at the age of 24 and raised three children while living with her parents-in-law. Because her husband's income as a day laborer—performing tasks such as tearing down walls and laying electrical wires—was inconsistent, she had to support the family. She worked tirelessly, waking at 3 a.m. to make and sell steamed buns, selling fish-shaped bread in front of elementary schools during the winter, and working in building cleaning. After her children became independent, she cared for her father-in-law, who was paralyzed on one side due to a stroke, for 10 years until his passing.

Three years ago, just as she hoped to find some rest, her mother-in-law, who is over 90 years old, fell over a threshold and underwent hip surgery. Since then, the grandmother has been responsible for the mother-in-law's meals, toileting, and washing. Her husband's health is also declining; due to the heavy labor he performed since his youth, he was diagnosed with hydrocephalus. After undergoing surgery at a large hospital in Seoul, he now relies on medication because even slight exertion causes dizziness. He also limps due to spinal stenosis. Between farming to support the family in place of her husband, tending to her mother-in-law, and raising her grandson, her days are relentlessly busy.

The family lives in a house that is over 70 years old, which shows significant signs of aging. Due to the old structure where rooms are arranged in a single line, the house is vulnerable to temperature changes. During an exceptionally hot summer, Tae-seo and his grandmother struggled, relying on only a single electric fan.

Now, the grandmother is more concerned about the approaching winter. Because cold air seeps into the rooms, causing breath to become visible, Tae-seo frequently suffers from colds. Last winter, his condition was severe enough to require an emergency room visit. As the cold wind begins to blow in the mornings and evenings, the grandmother sets up a heating tent in the room to prevent her precious grandson from falling ill again. She wishes to provide him with a comfortable sleeping environment, but she cannot afford to repair the house with the income from her solo farming work.

Feeling apologetic that she cannot do everything she wants for her grandson, who lives apart from his parents, she finds solace in giving him a tight hug filled with love.

*The follow-up to episode 568, "Yong-ju's Struggling Parenting Diary" (broadcast July 25, 2026), will be aired later.

(Photo provided by KBS 1TV 'Companion')

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