Actor Lee Jung-yong cried seeing his two sons, who inherited his talent and grew up wonderfully.
On the 6th broadcast, KBS1's Morning Yard Tuesday guest seat featured actor Lee Jung-yong and his sons Lee Mideum and Lee Maim as guests.
That day Lee Jung-yong said, "Isn't this the first broadcast of the Tuesday guest seat to welcome the new year 2026? Being the first guest on the first broadcast is an honor for the family," expressing his joy. In response Park Ae-Ri asked, "I heard there is very good news for Maim?" and Lee Maim revealed, "I was very lucky to be admitted as a freshman to university majoring in musical theater this time. Since my father works in this field, I watched many performances thanks to him and I've been interested since I was young," she confessed. She is scheduled to enter as part of the class of '26.
In response Lee Kwang-ki asked, "Doesn't Mideum also attend a musical department? Wasn't that process difficult too?" and Lee Mideum said, "As an upperclassman for entrance exams, my worry was that it isn't easy to pass in the third year of high school. There aren't many musical departments in Seoul. This friend attended an arts high school and majored in acting there. I worried a lot whether he could pass the musical department. Fortunately, he worked hard so he was able to pass," he said.
On the other hand, Lee Mideum said he once repeated a year. He said, "Actually I prepared to be a golf player. I entered a high school with a golf program. That rather became poison for me. The best students from across the country came, so my confidence fell and it was hard to adapt. I wandered a lot then. I quit golf. But when I saw my younger sibling doing musical theater, it looked so fun. My sibling enjoyed it too. So I also wanted to do musicals so badly that I started at the end of my third year of high school without thinking, failed, then prepared for exactly one year and got in," he revealed, surprising listeners.
Lee Kwang-ki marveled, "It's not easy for two siblings in one family to both inherit their father's talent and major in musical theater and follow in their father's footsteps," and Lee Jung-yong said, "I never imagined both my children would do musicals. In a way it might be these children's destiny, but as someone who walks the same path as an actor, it's really hard. You must always be chosen by someone, and to be chosen you must always be ready. Restraint, effort and the results of decisions later lead to success. Only a very small number see success. Because we focus on those people, you don't see all the many people who suffer and work for that success. That belongs to these children. I think their paths will be determined by how much they work," he said.
However, he did not immediately and gladly support them when he first heard they wanted to do musicals. Lee Jung-yong honestly said, "Because it costs a lot of money. It's really not easy for two people in one family to pursue arts and physical education." He continued, "But why did I push the children? Because they were ready to do it. I thought if we fully support both Mideum and Maim, they could do it. And as parents, if other kids can do it but you can't give that to your children, nothing hurts more. At first I was scared too, but seeing the children's potential and their efforts, I decided to support them to the end with all my might," he said.
Afterward, Lee Jung-yong performed the musical number "This Is the Moment" from the musical Jekyll & Hyde with his sons Lee Mideum and Lee Maim. After the stage, Lee Jung-yong appeared moved and said, "Seeing how reliable my children are makes me think I raised them well, so my heart is proud and I'm very grateful," and expressed emotion, "I wanted Mideum and Maim to sing this song on broadcast, and in 2026 I've already fulfilled one wish."
That day Lee Jung-yong recalled his past when he debuted as a musical actor and worked in various fields such as comedian and actor. He said, "At first I started with musical theater. I debuted in 1993 with Les Misérables after being discharged from the military, but my father passed away while I was in the military. He taught for 30 years and died of a chronic illness. I effectively became the head of the household, but in musical theater the stage didn't pay well then. Where I felt the gap was when a top star who was active on broadcast came to a production. I was in the ensemble. The top star practiced for two months and performed for one month and received 10 million won while I received 750,000 won. I felt such a gap," he recounted.
He continued, "I had to lead the household. I had to support my widowed mother, so I aimed for bigger opportunities. I kept failing broadcaster exams. My dream was to be an actor. I tried a comedian exam and passed on the first try. You never know with people's lives. It's like winning first out of a thousand. While working as a comedian, the 'Ice Man' character came and I won a rookie award for that. But my dream was to be an actor. I should have continued on variety shows, but I carried my profile and went around the drama production departments. The variety department told me I was crazy. I had won a rookie award so my future seemed guaranteed," he revealed.
After that he appeared in dramas and successfully transitioned to an actor, but he did not feel fulfillment. Lee Jung-yong said, "I'm very ambitious. You should stay in one place and dig one well, but I have a lot of talents and sing a bit, though I'm not that good. So I moved around. I appeared on 'Sebakwi' and even took off my shirt. I couldn't stay still. After marriage, the weight of being the head of household—our job doesn't have constant work but has gaps—made me anxious and I couldn't endure it. Children kept growing. Moving around everywhere, at the time I had no problem living, but now thinking back my identity began to waver. I couldn't take root. I regret that a little, but not much, because I lived as I wanted," he candidly said.
Hearing this, Lee Mideum said, "This was the first time I heard that. Whenever I see my father he seems to enjoy this work happily and I thought he had no worries. Even when I was wandering, I looked at my father and thought I wanted a job where I could enjoy my future like that, so I had no idea he had such worries," he expressed in surprise.
Meanwhile Lee Jung-yong expressed pride in his two sons, whom he called 'blue surpassing the teacher' and who are trying to follow in his footsteps. He said, "When did I first see Mideum's stage? When he was repeating a year he participated in a musical contest at a university with a theater department. I asked how much he would do. I went to see it, and I didn't see Mideum there but an actor. The once childish, spoiled Mideum performed on stage with energy and I cried the whole time I watched," he said, choking up.
He continued, "Maim attended an arts high school and performed 'Les Misérables.' Other castings had doubles or triples, but Maim performed the role of Jean Valjean alone. When I asked why you are doing it alone, they said there were no actors at the school who could handle Jean Valjean. I went to the performance and cried again. He did so well and handled all those difficult musical numbers, and watching him I thought it's enough if only I do well in our family," he said, moved. Meanwhile Lee Mideum and Lee Maim sang the musical numbers they had performed for university entrance on the spot, and Lee Kwang-ki praised, "Mr. Jung-yong, you must be truly happy. It seems the day will come when Lee Jung-yong benefits not because of his sons' advantage from their father but because of his sons themselves."
Finally, when asked about his new year wishes and plans, Lee Jung-yong said, "When I go to the show 6 o'clock My Hometown and ask elders, they all say the same thing. They don't wish for anything; they want their family to be healthy. I'm the same. Now that the children got into the universities they wanted, I hope they stay healthy and our family is always peaceful and happy," and he applauded his wife who has supported him, saying, "I think mothers are 95% responsible for raising children. The fact that the children got into university is all because you did well, and I dedicate all the credit to you. Thank you for your hard work."
Lee Mideum said, "I want to be a person who is prepared. I always think opportunities are given fairly, but only prepared people can seize them. This year I want to live each day meaningfully and diligently," he said, and Lee Maim said, "I hope our whole family stays healthy. Now that I'm entering university I hope I adapt well to campus life. Today I appeared on Morning Yard as actor Lee Jung-yong's son, but next time I will work hard so I can appear on Morning Yard as actor Lee Maim," expressing a confident ambition that drew cheers.<
[Photo] KBS1
[OSEN]