YouTube channel ‘Esther Yeo’s EstherTV’

Physician and broadcaster Esther Yeo opened up about her feelings regarding her husband Hong Hye-Gul revealing her depression.

On the 12th, the YouTube channel ‘Esther Yeo’s EstherTV’ released a video titled ‘Hong Hye-Gul Finally Using Honorifics?! The Yeo-Hong Couple Make New Year Plans’.

That day, the couple visited a restaurant and shared a meal while talking about various things. At that point, the production staff asked them, “How would you express 2025 in a single sentence?”

In response, Esther Yeo said, “It has been a dynamic year. At a walking-style market, we launched a new ‘National Nutrition Project,’ and Hye-Gul posted on Facebook (the fact that I have depression) as if I were a person on the verge of dying, and it was carried by all the media.”

YouTube channel ‘Esther Yeo’s EstherTV’

YouTube channel ‘Esther Yeo’s EstherTV’

Then Hong Hye-Gul said, “I did not realize we were that famous,” and added, “A few acquaintances said they could not get in touch with my wife. As I was explaining to each of them one by one, I thought, ‘let us just be completely honest and tell the situation.’ Because of her depression, my wife really did not want to do anything, and even the very fact of someone contacting her phone was a major source of stress. I posted it to ask for understanding, since it was something burdensome for her.”

However, he said there had been no prior consultation with Esther Yeo when making that public. Esther Yeo said, “Given that my depression was not in a good state then, did you not think that if it came out like that my illness would worsen?”

Hong Hye-Gul explained, “That may be so, but in the end it improved, did it not? There is no one contacting you, and many contacts have been cut off,” and added, “For those people, it is a matter of courtesy, but for my wife, it is a matter of survival. I may act like this here, but even then she would lie in bed all day and keep having strange thoughts.”

Earlier, in September, Hong wrote on his social media, “There are people who feel hurt because they have not been able to reach my wife recently,” and added, “I fully understand, but please consider it to be due to the illness of depression. Even a simple one-line reply has become a very difficult obligation, and she suffers because of it,” thereby revealing Esther Yeo’s depression.