[Provided by Herald POP (now Herald Muse)]
[Provided by Herald POP (now Herald Muse)]

Yeo Esther, a physician and entrepreneur who has long struggled with depression, has received an unexpected diagnosis — this time from fellow doctor Ham Ik-byung.

A preview of the next episode featuring Yeo and her husband Hong Hye-geol aired at the end of Tuesday's broadcast of SBS's "Dongsang Imong 2 — You Are My Destiny," a couples reality show.

Yeo has been receiving treatment for depression for years and recently ended a five-year arrangement in which she and Hong had been living apart — she in Jeju, he in Seoul — and the two have resumed living together.

In the preview, Yeo appeared noticeably more energetic than before, working out on exercise equipment and cooking meals herself. Hong watched with a smile and said, "I feel relieved that she's gotten better. I just hope we can keep living together like this, quietly and happily."

The couple were in for a surprise, however, when they sat down with Ham, a physician known for his blunt, incisive manner of speaking.

Ham told Yeo, "This is really serious." When she replied, "I'm already taking psychiatric medication," he said, "That's a separate issue. Medication can't fix everything."

He then identified what he saw as her core problem: "She is directing all of her anger at herself." When Hong asked, "Are you saying it's self-abuse?" Ham replied, "Exactly. She can never direct it at others, so it ultimately spills over onto her family as well." He then offered a solution, leaving viewers curious about what comes next.

Yeo is a family medicine specialist who graduated from Seoul National University College of Medicine. She married Hong Hye-geol, a medical journalist and fellow Seoul National University College of Medicine alumnus, in 1994, and the couple have two sons.


min3654@heraldcorp.com