Lee Dae-ho and Shin Hye-jung shared heartfelt words for one another.
On the August 25 episode of SBS' "Same Bed, Different Dreams 2: You Are My Destiny", Korean baseball legend Lee Dae-ho and his wife, Shin Hye-jung, joined as the show's newest couple.
The episode spotlighted Lee, a record-setting icon in Korean baseball history, appearing alongside his wife.
Because of scheduling conflicts, Lee couldn’t be in the studio. A visibly nervous Shin asked the panel to take good care of her as she appeared solo.
The pair first met at 20, built a life together and are now parents of two. On the show, they looked back at how their love story began and led them to marriage.
At 21, Lee underwent knee surgery, and Shin traveled to Seoul to care for him. “He needed a guardian,” she recalled. “His grandmother had passed, his brother was in the army―there was no one. I asked my parents for permission and became his guardian.”
“I was genuinely glad I could go―and that I could be the one to take care of him,” she added.
Shin shared that she helped with everything, even the most personal tasks, like holding a urinal when he couldn’t go to the bathroom on his own―moments that brought them closer.
“It felt like my grandmother had sent her,” Lee said. “I just knew―this was the woman. Being loved by someone, having someone protect me―that meant everything. After surgery, just knowing someone was worried about me made me happy. That’s when I decided I’d make her even happier.”
“That was love,” he continued. “From that moment, she was my guardian―she still is.”
Shin also revealed she’s never fallen asleep before her husband. “He once told me he hated coming home to a dark house as a kid. That stayed with me. So I keep the lights on and, even if I doze off, I make sure I’m up to welcome him when he comes home.”
Lee opened up about his childhood. “I didn’t grow up with much love, and I lost my father when I was young, so ‘Dad’ wasn’t a word I used. Now, when my kids call me ‘Dad,’ there’s no greater joy. When they call me, I want to do everything for them.”
Later, Lee teared up while rewatching footage from his retirement ceremony three years ago. “If I hadn’t met my wife, I don’t think I’d be here,” he said. “We met during tough times, leaned on each other, worked through everything together, and built this life side by side.”
Shin responded with gratitude. “I’m not exceptionally talented or striking, but he always tells me I’m beautiful and the best. He puts me out front and lets me shine. I want to say thank you. We’ve worked hard, and I want to keep building an even happier home.”
“One of the best parts of getting married,” Lee added, “was seeing my wife and kids listed under my name on the family registry―that’s what family is. I live with the mindset that they’re my responsibility, so nothing feels hard. It’s simply what I’m meant to do. I just hope we can stay healthy and happy, just like this.”
(SBS Entertainment News | Kim Hyo-jung)