Kim Jung-tae's Son Selected as Science Prodigy

Actor Kim Jung-tae has shared an update on his eldest son, Jihoo (16), who was formerly known and loved as "Yakkungi." Regarding rumors that his son is a genius who speaks six languages, Kim Jung-tae stated, "​He knew English, Chinese, and Arabic, but we reduced it to just English."

Jihoo, now 16, has shown exceptional talent, such as singing his favorite anime theme songs in English and developing his own games using physics principles. He was selected as a science prodigy, completed a gifted education program, and his hobbies include animation production and coding.

However, Kim Jung-tae, his wife, and the production team opened up about their concerns regarding difficulties in social interaction that lie beneath Jihoo's special talents. Kim Jung-tae's wife expressed, "​I think he has symptoms of Asperger's syndrome," and worried that her son "​is not interested in other people and doesn't understand people's feelings well." Kim Jung-tae also shared his heartache, saying he was pained to hear comments suggesting his son might have a developmental disorder because his Korean became less fluent as he became more comfortable using English.

Asperger's syndrome is a type of autism spectrum disorder characterized by exceptional abilities in specific areas but difficulties in social interaction. Kim Jung-tae admitted that he sometimes feels distant due to his son's uniqueness, raising questions about whether he will be able to understand his son in the future.