From Savings to Surprises: The Heartwarming Story Behind Seo Dong-joo’s Dream Car Gift

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[Sports Seoul | Reporter Park Jin-up] Lawyer and broadcaster Seo Dong-ju revealed a surprise anniversary gift from her husband and shared a joyful update on her personal life.

Seo posted on her social media on the 23rd: “Oh my… my husband gave me a car for our anniversary (our marriage-registration anniversary),” alongside several photos. In the images she’s beaming beside a white import wrapped with a large red bow. The trunk was filled with balloons that read “I love you” and a bright bouquet—small, thoughtful touches that spoke of her husband’s careful planning.

Seo said she’d been overwhelmed by work and dealing with personal challenges last month, so she hadn’t properly celebrated her birthday, their anniversary or White Day. That made the unexpected gift feel even more meaningful. “I still can’t believe my husband, who lives on pocket money, managed to pull this off,” she said, visibly moved.

Seo shared more of the story on her YouTube channel. Her husband, Yeong-seok, had quietly put together the gift for their March 13 marriage-registration anniversary by dipping into pocket money and savings he’d been setting aside for years.

Respecting Seo’s commitment to environmental causes, Yeong-seok opted for a well-maintained used car instead of a new model. He also recalled an embarrassing moment years earlier when Seo attended a brand event in a tiny car and a parking attendant asked her to turn it around. He said he wanted to prevent anything like that from happening again.

As she read the handwritten letter he left, Seo covered her face and broke down in tears. Yeong-seok held her and offered comfort as she cried.

Seo remarried last June to a non-celebrity man four years her junior. She had recently announced a pregnancy following IVF treatment but endured the heartbreak of a missed miscarriage.

upandup@sportsseoul.com