Hong Hye-geol says wife's act of buying home for housekeeper drew backlash

Hong Hye-geol, head of the medical YouTube channel Biontwi, said he faced criticism after his wife Yeo Es-der, head of Esther Formula, publicly shared how the couple had bought a home in Gangnam for their longtime housekeeper.

The story drew attention when Hong appeared on MBC's "Radio Star" on Aug. 19 and said Yeo had purchased a home in Gangnam, near where the couple lives, for a woman who had helped run their household for more than a decade.

On Wednesday, Hong wrote on his Facebook page that he had been trying to live — or at least appear to live — with kindness, but had run into a problem. "The criticism is that your advertising of goodness causes harm to others," he wrote.

He gave an example: tipping caddies or drivers generously, he said, can be seen as distorting fair pricing and making those who pay the standard rate look stingy.

Hong also said he felt guilty that his disclosure about buying a small officetel nearby for the woman who helps with housework had made other households uncomfortable — those who were not in a position to do the same for their own housekeepers.

He cited a similar episode in which he had suggested that an apartment building lobby be kept cool in the summer heat for the benefit of staff, only to be met with complaints from residents telling him to pay for it himself if he had the money.

He acknowledged that all of the criticism had merit, adding, "Living in this world is really complicated and difficult."