"I didn't understand puberty," The father of duo AKMU shares his honest reflection on parenting challenges

Lee Sung Geun, a missionary and the father of AKMU (AKMU’s Lee Chan Hyuk and Lee Su Hyun), and head of Ministry THE Hamkke, recently opened up about raising his children.

On July 17, a video titled “The Amazing Changes That Happen When You Entrust Parenting to God” was uploaded on Compassion Korea’s YouTube channel.

In the video, Lee Sung Geun sat down with announcer Lee Ha Jung and shared his experiences as a parent, particularly during the most difficult and painful times, and discussed what he considers the most important principle in parenting.

Lee Sung Geun recalled that while living in Mongolia with Chan Hyuk and Su Hyun, their family faced financial hardship and had to resort to homeschooling. He said, “When Chan Hyuk was in his second year of middle school, he entered adolescence, what we often call 'Puberty.' I wasn’t a father who understood puberty well,” he confessed.

He added, “My relationship with the children and our family became strained, and personally, my relationship with God became uncomfortable too. It was the most difficult and painful time of my life.”

Lee Sung Geun, who revealed he experienced emotional deprivation while growing up, said, “I repented to God and asked my family for forgiveness. I said something like this to them: ‘I’ve lived like this for decades, so I probably won’t be able to fix this habit right away. I may unintentionally get angry or make mistakes, but I’ll come to my senses and return quickly.’” He shared that he openly admitted his weakness.

He continued, “Chan Hyuk smiled and said, ‘Dad, I forgive you. Do better from now on.’” Lee Sung Geun said that the moment of forgiveness from his son helped improve their relationship and brought them closer as a family.