Popular Actor Faces Renewed Backlash Over Shocking Treatment Of His Much-Younger Wife

Actor Shim Hyung Tak is facing renewed backlash after a past broadcast resurfaced, shedding light on how heated his fights with his wife, Hirai Saya, can get.

The clip, originally aired in 2024 on Channel A’s Trendy Men’s Lifestyle, has recently resurfaced online, drawing criticism from netizens for his candid admission about their arguments.

During the episode, Shim Hyung Tak openly stated, “We fight pretty intensely,” before going on to describe a particularly alarming incident. According to him, a recent argument escalated to the point where communication completely broke down. In the middle of the fight, he abruptly got out of the car and returned home alone—without resolving the situation.

While Shim Hyung Tak brushed it off by saying they eventually made up after Saya reached out first, the story has since sparked criticism, especially given the couple’s dynamic. Many pointed out that Saya is 18 years younger and had left her entire life in Japan to move to Korea for him.

심형탁 아내랑 18살차이나는데
세게싸운다함

강남이 심형탁한테 아내랑 18살차이나고
남편따라 한국온 아내한테
그럼 안된다고 잡도리하니까

대뜸 강남한테
“너도 상화씨한테 한마디도 하면 안돼”

그러곤 강남한테 소리지른적 없냐고 질문했는데
강남이 “큰일나지 무슨소릴 하고있어”
라 하니까… pic.twitter.com/Ccmwjgc4f3

— 루공 (@rubygongdue) April 11, 2026

Shim Hyung Tak said he and his wife, who is 18 years younger than him, fight really intensely. When Kangnam pointed out that it’s not right—especially since she moved to Korea for him—Shim suddenly shot back, ‘Then you shouldn’t be saying a word to Sang Hwa either.’

He then asked Kangnam if he had ever raised his voice at his wife, and when Kangnam responded, ‘Are you crazy? What are you even talking about?’ Shim seemed genuinely surprised and said, ‘Really? You’ve never raised your voice??’

They have an 18-year age gap… What is there for him to even yell at her about?

— @rubygongdue/X

Even on the show, fellow cast members didn’t hold back. They emphasized that, given her sacrifices, Shim Hyung Tak should be more mindful in conflicts, with fellow guest Kangnam even joking that he shouldn’t be the one raising his voice at all.

Now that the clip has resurfaced, netizens have been far less forgiving. Many criticized his handling of the situation, calling his actions during the argument inconsiderate and immature, while others expressed sympathy for Saya, noting how isolating the situation must have felt.

• Hearing about how they were when they were dating honestly makes me want to curse him out. Seems like he only became somewhat decent after getting married and having a kid. After they became popular thanks to their kid, I looked into the couple and ended up seeing everything from their dating days… It was seriously frustrating.
• I feel bad for his wife. There’s an 18-year age gap… How can he act like that even when he’s angry? At least try to speak Japanese for her sake. And he’s even an otaku, so that makes it worse.
• The more I see Kangnam, the more I like him.
• Well… It’s the life she chose.
• Kangnam actually seems like a decent person the more you see him.
• I don’t think he’s a bad person, but from watching various clips, he really lacks awareness and social sense. Feels like Saya must be going through a lot internally. Definitely not husband material.
• Sigh.
• He’s so full of sh*t. She deserves to be treated so much better. And if he’s saying things like that on-air for attention because of money issues or whatever, that’s honestly the worst.
• He needs to come to his senses.
• You shouldn’t be yelling, no matter what happens.
• Why is he even yelling in the first place?

Read more about Shim Hyung Tak and Hirai Saya here:

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