"O Eun-young's Nationwide Gaslighting"... Pediatrician's Sharp Critique of 'Geumjjok-i Parenting'

Emphasizing Caregiver Authority... "Don't Always Grant Every Wish"
'Geumjjoki Ryu Program' Highlights Spread of Negative Perceptions on Marriage and Childbirth

As debates continue over the appropriateness of Dr. Oh Eun-young's educational approach in 'Geumjjok-i Solution'?a program led by the child psychiatrist and parenting expert?one pediatrician has issued a sharp critique. He claims that so-called 'Geumjjok-i-type programs' are gaslighting (psychologically manipulating) the entire nation.

Dr. Oh Eun-young, a psychiatrist.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Dr. Ha Jung-hoon, director of Ha Jung-hoon Pediatric and Adolescent Clinic and a pediatrician who graduated from Seoul National University College of Medicine, pointed out in an interview with JoongAng Ilbo released on the 25th, "Earlier this month, the Low Fertility and Aging Society Committee (LFASC) criticized this program (My Precious Child) for not helping to overcome low birth rates, which aligns with this perspective."

Dr. Ha explained, "In fact, parenting can be much easier if the basics are properly established."

Regarding the 'basics' he mentioned, he said, "It is about creating the family framework. Establishing the authority of the caregiver and setting rules and limits for the child. If this is done properly, raising a child is not that difficult. Of course, parenting is not easy, but there are far more joyful and happy moments than hardships. If something is wrong, it is seriously wrong," he criticized.

On emphasizing the 'authority of the caregiver,' he explained, "Raising a child is about making them a member of society who can live together with others. If the caregiver lacks authority at home, the child will not listen. Such children also tend not to listen to teachers at kindergarten or school. As adults, they are more likely to become maladjusted members of society. We should not give in to everything the child wants but shift the focus of daily life from the child to the caregiver starting now."

Regarding Dr. Oh's 'solution parenting,' he said, "Solution parenting itself is not the problem. It is necessary for children with developmental issues. However, the problem is that methods effective for some children are being applied to all. It would be good if broadcasts dealing with solution parenting included a warning that such parenting methods should not be applied to typical children," he urged.

"Counseling and education don’t work at all... creating the illusion that problems can be solved"

Dr. Oh Eun-young.
[Photo by YouTube 'Oh Eun-young's Bucket List' capture]

In a similar vein, Dr. Seo Cheon-seok, a pediatric psychiatrist and medical doctor from Seoul National University, also criticized Dr. Oh Eun-young’s solution approach in July.

At that time, he said, "How many counseling sessions or educational attempts? Everyone knows there are children for whom such efforts don’t work, unless you are a fool or an amateur. The problem with 'Geumjjok-i-type' programs is that they create the illusion that issues which cannot be solved by the solutions presented on the show can actually be resolved."

He continued, "They make it seem like even very serious problems in children can be solved with a few counseling sessions or a month or two of effort. If that were possible, then parents and teachers who fail to solve these issues would be held responsible. Either they lack skill or effort. But any psychiatrist knows it’s not that simple," he added.

In response to such criticism, Dr. Oh said in an interview with Ten Asia released in July, "Geumjjok-i is not a human modification program. It is a program where parents who have lost their way in parenting openly discuss problems, talk about the causes and reasons, and discuss future parenting directions. If through effort, the child changes little by little compared to before, that is not an illusion but something that gives hope," she explained.

Meanwhile, the Low Fertility and Aging Society Committee held a meeting on the 5th under the theme 'Changes in Perceptions of Marriage and Childbirth and the Role of Media,' raising concerns that so-called 'Geumjjok-i-type programs' spread negative perceptions about marriage and childbirth, hindering efforts to overcome low birth rates.

Yoo Jae-eun, a member of the Youth Policy Coordination Committee at the Office for Government Policy Coordination who presented at the meeting, emphasized the need to reduce negative messages in media and frequently expose positive messages.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.