Sayuri, single mom by choice, to appear on ‘The Return of Superman’

South Korea-based Japanese entertainer Sayuri Fujita will be joining “The Return of Superman,” broadcaster KBS said Tuesday.

The entertainer, better known as Sayuri, became a single mother by choice in November last year. Her decision to get pregnant through a sperm bank in Japan -- because it is illegal in Korea for a single woman to do so -- raised awareness of the legal issues surrounding sperm donation in Korea.

Sayuri, who has spoken out about her choice on TV and also has a YouTube channel, decided to join “The Return of Superman” because KBS was the first media outlet to report on her situation last year.

“The Return of Superman” normally shows how celebrity fathers deal with parenting for 48 hours. While female celebrities such as trot singer Jang Yoon-jeong and singer Kahi have appeared on the show with their husbands, Sayuri will be the first mother to be the main focus in the program’s eight-year history.

“The word ‘superman’ in the program title reflects the first hero that children see when they are born,” said the producers. “We are grateful to have Sayuri on the show as a new superman as numerous viewers requested to see superman Sayuri raising her child.”

KBS’ decision reflects the changing household dynamics in Korea. In 2019, 7.3 percent of Korean households were single-parent households, according to Statistics Korea.

While the show has started shooting Sayuri’s episode, the broadcast date has not been set.

By Lim Jang-won (ljw@heraldcorp.com)