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Father sparks debate after son smokes in front of him, leading to family confrontation
🇰🇷 South Korea /Culture & Society

Father sparks debate after son smokes in front of him, leading to family confrontation

From Dong-A Ilbo · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Context piece
  • A father sought advice online after his 20-year-old son smoked in front of him, leading to a family conflict.
  • The father was reprimanded by his wife and older son when he told the younger son to show basic courtesy.
  • Online commenters largely agreed that smoking in front of parents is disrespectful, with some suggesting underlying family issues.

A father has turned to an online community for advice after a conflict arose within his family when he disciplined his 20-year-old son for smoking in his presence. The father, identified as 'A', shared his distress on the online forum Bobaedream, explaining that his younger son, who had recently become an adult, lit up a cigarette without hesitation while he was present.

The second son smoked without hesitation even though his father was there.

— Father 'A'Describing the incident that led to the family conflict.

When 'A' admonished his son, reminding him of basic courtesy, the situation escalated. His wife, older son (23), and the younger son (20) all sided against him, confronting him for his reaction. "I told him to at least show some manners in front of his parents. Did I say something wrong? Or has the era changed?" the father lamented.

When I told him off, my wife, the older son, and the second son all ganged up on me.

— Father 'A'Explaining the family's reaction to his discipline.

The online community largely sided with the father, deeming smoking in front of parents as a breach of etiquette. One commenter suggested that the family atmosphere itself might be problematic if a son felt comfortable smoking before his father. Another expressed disbelief, stating that even in their 40s, they never smoked in front of their parents or elders, emphasizing that such behavior undermines parental authority.

I told him to at least show some manners in front of his parents. Did I say something wrong? Or has the era changed?

— Father 'A'Questioning his own actions and the changing social norms.

However, some users suggested that the son's behavior might stem from deeper family dynamics or past issues between the father and son. "The child's behavior might be influenced by the family environment or the relationship up to this point," one user commented, while another speculated, "Perhaps the father did something wrong previously, and this is how it erupted at that moment."

Smoking in front of parents? Ultimately, it's the parents' fault. If he smokes in front of his parents, isn't there a problem with the overall family atmosphere?

— Online commenterCriticizing the family environment that allowed such behavior.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Dong-A Ilbo in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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