Korean star Ricky Kim on how he found love in the Philippines

MANILA, Philippines — When the news broke that Korean actor Ricky Kim and theater actress Ryu Seung Joo would tie the knot in 2009, showbiz insiders thought it would be a career suicide.

But the Korean-American actor believed otherwise. 

“In Korea, most Korean stars usually hide the fact that they have wives and children. Dating scandals are big issues. It's a golden rule. But it's not mine. What I did was the opposite. I married young. I had kids. I don't regret it. I always believe in being real and transparent,” said the Korean actor in an interview with Philstar.com during the grand opening of Gen Korean BBQ Restaurant in SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City.

When he first came to Korea, pursuing a career in the entertainment industry was not in his immediate plan. He came to volunteer and teach English for a while, before he left to travel around the world. Four months later, he returned to his mother's home country and decided to try his luck in Korean entertainment. He debuted in a four-episode TV series “Miracle,” followed by his stint in the hit show “On Air,” where he attracted attention for is supporting role.

He got his first leading role for the romantic comedy film “My Darling FBI.” His other acting projects included 2009 Korean staging of the musical “Dreamgirls” and period medical drama “Jejungwon.”

In 2009, he showed his athleticism in the sports-reality show “Let's Go Dream Team! Season 2.” He proved he has a knack for reality TV and appeared in several seasons of “Law of the Jungle,” a travel-reality show where the celebrity cast go to exotic locations and are left to survive in nature.

It was in 2010 where he publicized his marriage on national TV, and opened up his life by inviting his then-pregnant wife to cheer on him in “Let's Go Dream Team.”

Ricky shared that he first met his wife while doing volunteer work with Compassion, an international non-government organization, in the Philippines back in 2007. Two years later, the couple got married. After two years, their first child, Tae-rin (also known as Taylor) was born. They had another child, Tae-oh (Asher William) in 2013. Their youngest child, Tae-ra (Ellysen Victoria) was born in 2015.

From 2014 to 2016, the TaeTae Family - as they are fondly called by the fans - gave a peek of their domestic life in “Oh, My Baby,” a Korean variety show that documents the family life of Korean celebrities and their young children. With the funny antics of the children, they have won the hearts of viewers globally.

Seeing the big crowd that have gathered for their fan meeting, billed “Daddy’s Day Out: Ricky Kim and TaeTae Family in Manila,” proved Ricky made the right decision.

It has been a year since the family-oriented reality TV show stopped airing, but the popularity of the TaeTae Family is still so strong that there has been clamor to see them again, paving the way for fan meet events in Singapore, Thailand, and recently in the Philippines.

Marriage and fatherhood have indeed become plus points for Ricky. “Fatherhood has made me more responsible, more patient, and more adventurous. It made life better. I would always choose life over work. Everyday is one day, and you have to be happy. You have to fight for happiness. You have to try hard. It is not easy.”

Truly, every moment with his family is a new experience for him. “I'm already a father of three, but it still feels new. I feel like I'm still 20 years old. Sometimes, I forget I'm already a father. But the best moments are when the children did something new - eat something new, try something different, when they fall down, walk and talk. When I see my wife smiling, that is the best moment. I believe a good father should love his wife. A good father is a good husband.”

He admits that doing “Oh, My Baby” is the most challenging thing he did so far. “Being with my family in a show is a challenge. In other shows, I don't have to worry about anything. I just have to be myself. But with 'Oh My Baby,' I have to think about kids and wife, and everything happened inside my house,” said the actor who wishes that "Let's Go Dream Team" will have a comeback.

Nowadays, Ricky could not be happier raising a family and pursuing his acting career at the same time. He just finished shooting for his first Hollywood movie, “Heaven Quest: A Pilgrim’s Progress,” which he hopes will be released next year. The fantasy film revolves around a man's journey in life.

“It tells about a man who is lost and going through difficulties. It’s a beautiful film,” enthused Ricky who wore different hats, as an actor and a producer, for the film. “It is a new passion of mine. I like to create, helping writing, producing and acting.”

When asked about choosing between acting and producing, Ricky answered: “Acting is always the harder. It is one of the hardest jobs in the world. You have to be really real. You can not fake it because you can see it in the eyes, in the breathing, in everything.”