cw: mild racism
Do-hyun " [name_m]Matthew[/name_m] " [name_m]Park[/name_m] (46) is Ennos’ neighbour and father of four, his youngest being [name_f]Julie[/name_f] and his eldest being [name_f]Seren[/name_f]. The bigotry his children have experienced is something Matthew’s felt especially guilty about, as at one point he was offered a transfer to work in Daegu, however he was the one to convince his wife to remain in the States as they’d just welcomed their second child and he worried about uprooting the family. Having always been someone quieter and more introverted, when [name_m]Matthew[/name_m] first moved and encountered prejudice - most commonly in the form of presumptive and invasive questions - he just tried to shrug it off, in spite of the discomfort and unhappiness it caused him.
Since becoming a father he has become more assertive though, especially when faculty members weren’t pronouncing his childrens’ names correctly and outright dismissing their requests to be listened to. It disheartened [name_m]Matthew[/name_m] and his wife that when they went to the schools to clarify this, they weren’t listened to by those perpetrating such behaviour, however he’s continued doing all he can to inspire more confidence in his sons’ and daughters’.
Unlike the stereotype of fathers, [name_m]Matthew[/name_m] thinks highly of Serens’ boyfriend and is always happy to welcome him into their home: it’s his wife he allows to play bad cop, as [name_m]Matthew[/name_m] will tell anyone she’s a far stronger authority figure. The fact he’s a nerd for historical fiction is another reason [name_f]Seren[/name_f] swears he gets on so well with her boyfriend, even if her dad’s not so much of a theatre buff. He has been playing the cello since he was eight though and continues to practice, belonging to a local orchestra group where he enjoys praising the achievements of his children [although they’d be mortified to know, well perhaps [name_f]Julie[/name_f] maybe].