Former rhythmic gymnast and national team member Son Yeon-jae has revealed her home for the first time.
On February 20, a video titled “Rhythmic Gymnastics Fairy Son Yeon-jae, Now a Mom, Reveals Her Newlywed Home (Natural Birth, 9-Year Age Gap)” was uploaded to the YouTube channel ‘Mibji-anhan Gwanjong Unni’ (The Unlikable Attention-Seeking Older Sister) hosted by Lee Ji-hye.
Son Yeon-jae shared details about her relationship, saying, “I got married through a blind date introduced by a close friend. We were so busy spending time together that before we knew it, we were married. About a year into our relationship, I walked down the aisle. We got closer while preparing for the wedding.”
She continued, “I’m the type of person who falls in love easily (a ‘golden heart’ type). My husband is 9 years older, so things moved quickly. He was at the age when he wanted to get married, and I was at the point where I thought I should start thinking about it too. I was 29 at the time. It wasn’t that I got married too early.”
She also expressed her honest feelings, saying, “On Frid
ays, while watching the baby, I look outside and think, ‘Where are all those cars going? Are they all going on trips?’ I’m the only one who got married, and my friends are all traveling. I feel so envious.”
Son Yeon-jae also opened up about the challenges of pregnancy and parenting. She said, “A friend of mine gave birth naturally, so I decided to do the same. My baby came three weeks early, and I went through 16 hours of labor. I gave birth in 30 minutes and recovered quickly, but after giving birth, I cried for two weeks straight at the postpartum care center. My stomach hurt so much. I had severe afterbirth pain. If I had known, I wouldn’t have gone through natural birth. It felt like I was still in labor. I realized it was better to just give birth.”
She continued, “Before having the baby, things were the same as whe
n we were dating, and we hardly ever fought. But after the baby was born, we had wars every night. I used to think that my workout struggles were the hardest, but now I realize that raising a baby, especially with no sleep, is the hardest. My baby wakes up at 12 a.m., 2 a.m., 4 a.m., and 6 a.m. It’s been a year, and I still don’t get a full night’s sleep.”
Despite the challenges, Son Yeon-jae expressed her desire for more children, saying, “I’m an only child, so I think it’s better to have siblings. We decided to have a second child.” She also added, “Since my first child is a son, I hope the second one is a daughter.”
In 2017, Son Yeon-jae retired from competitive rhythmic gymnastics and has since been mentoring young gymnasts. She married a financial professional, 9 years her senior, in 2022, and gave birth to a son in February 2023.
Additionally, in November 2023, she and her husband purchas
ed a 72 billion KRW (~$56.5 million USD) standalone house in Itaewon, Yongsan District, Seoul. The property was bought in joint names, and it made headlines as the couple paid the full amount in cash without taking out any bank loans.