'If we weren't here, Dad could have done a lot of dramas': Song triplets from The Return of Superman go on talk show

A decade after they rose to popularity on the South Korean variety series The Return of Superman, the Song triplets recently appeared on comedian Yoo Jae-suk’s talk show.

Now 12 years old and standing over 170cm tall, Dae-han, Min-guk and Man-sae guested on You Quiz on the Block with their father, actor Song Il-kook.

The episode reportedly achieved its highest nationwide viewership ratings ever at 6.8 per cent.

What touched netizens was the love between the triplets and their father.

“If we weren’t here, I think Dad could have done a lot of other dramas… Not long ago, Min-guk wanted to eat ice cream. He called Dad and said, ‘Please come home after the musical.’ Because of that, Dad came home early from his musical practice,” shared Dae-han.

“I think that’s why Dad isn’t doing well [as an actor], it’s because of us.”

Il-kook’s last drama was 2016’s Jang Youngsil: The Greatest Scientist of Joseon. While he admitted on the show that he hasn’t been cast in anything since then and has been performing in musicals recently, Il-kook said he has no regrets.

“I’m the type of person who puts family before work. My goals in life are to be a good husband to my wife, a father who is not ashamed in front of his children and to be faithful to my work,” he said.

“All of those happy moments in my life, I could have missed it all if I was busy with my work. I spent time happily with my children and I even left a record of it. How can any parent have such a gift?”

When asked about their future aspirations, Man-sae shared that he wants to follow his father’s dreams and enter an art university, while Min-guk wants to go to Kaist (Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology).

Il-kook married his non-celebrity wife Jung Seung-yeon in 2008. They had the triplets in 2012, and were introduced on The Return of Superman in July 2014.

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syarifahsn@asiaone.com