Korean mother-in-law goes viral dancing to Vietnamese tune

The video of the groom’s mother, named Soyoung, was recorded during the wedding of Ha Tinh Province native bride Ton Thao to her South Korean husband named Yeseung on Nov. 18.

"I was surprised to see my parents and parents-in-law hitting the perfect rhythm just minutes after they started learning the dance from the kids," said Thao, 26, adding that she was happy and grateful for how her mother-in-law openly expressed her joy at the event.

(From L) Thao’s mother, Thao, Yeseung, and Soyoung at Thao and Yeseung’s engagement ceremony in Ha Tinh on Nov. 18, 2023. Photo courtesy of Thao

Soyoung, 59, said she traveled to Thao’s Ha Tinh hometown on Nov. 17 accompanied by her older brother as her husband was sick and had to stay home.

Her first time attending a traditional Vietnamese wedding, the new mother-in-law was astonished that it lasted for two whole days. She said weddings in her country only lasted a few hours.

"I have never seen such a heart-warming wedding ceremony, with neighbors coming to the family to help set up the venue, prepare meals, and clean up," she said.

Thao and Yeseung, 32, first met each other three years ago when they were both working in the central-coastal city of Da Nang. When Covid-19 hit, Yeseung had to return to his country. But after a period of separation, Thao came to Seoul to pursue her master’s degree.

Both families were originally against the long-distance nature of the couple’s relationship. They were then convinced by the authenticity of their children’s love, and Soyoung asked Thao to call her and her husband "mother" and "father" the first time they met.

Soyoung wore a traditional Vietnamese ao dai instead of a South Korean hanbok to the wedding. She said she had "totally" fallen for Vietnamese culture even long before the wedding, as Thao’s stories about her home country had inspired the South Korean woman’s curiosity.

Thao (L) and Soyoung attend a wedding ceremony in South Korea together. Photo courtesy of Thao

Even long before becoming viral for her dance moves, the South Korean mother-in-law had been widely known in Vietnam, as Thao shares a lot about her daily life on her social media account and many of her some 700,000 followers have said they admired the warm relationship she has with Soyoung.

For example, Thao said that Soyoung takes her side whenever the young couple argue, and the South Korean woman’s biggest desire is to see her son and daughter-in-law live a happy married life.

"Many believe it is natural for parents to favor their own son, but that’s not the case with my mother-in-law," Thao said. "She always reminds Yeseung to help me with any problem I have, which makes me feel really fortunate."

The newlyweds are set to have another wedding ceremony in South Korea in March next year. Regarding their further future plans, the Vietnamese bride said she and her husband have decided to come back to Vietnam and launch a business of their own after she completes her master’s degree.

 

 

Korean mother-in-law goes viral dancing to Vietnamese tune

Mẹ chồng Hàn Quốc 'gây bão' với màn nhảy trong đám cưới