Lee Soo-keun of 'Ask Us Anything Fortune Teller' offered heartfelt advice to French Papa chef Lee Dong-jun.
On the afternoon of the 23rd, KBS Joy entertainment program Ask Us Anything Fortune Teller aired, featuring French Papa chef Lee Dong-jun, who participated in Culinary Class Wars 2.
That day Chef Lee Dong-jun said, 'I appeared on Culinary Class Wars 2 and publicly cried while talking about my son on the autism spectrum. I usually have a bright image, but nationwide and worldwide I became someone who cries a lot. They attacked me with malicious comments saying, "it's an appeal for sympathy." I wondered how I could tell my story calmly like Seo Jang-hoon,' expressing his concerns.
Mentioning three things that trigger his tears, he confessed, "One is my child. I learned when he was 2 years old that he has a developmental disability. The precise diagnosis is autism spectrum disorder." He added, "There are various symptoms of autism, and my child has delayed language development. He can hardly express language. He was born in 2013, so he is 13 years old, but his language is at a very, very small level—about a 'yes' at best."
He said, "I went to the U.S. to get treatment for my child, but while I left the restaurant as a chef, my self-esteem dropped," and added, "At that time I got contacted by Culinary Class Wars 2. I appeared because I wanted to show my child that 'Dad is a chef.'"
Lee Soo-keun asked, "How did the treatment go? Was it effective?" and Chef Lee Dong-jun replied, "His social skills were lacking and he had sensory difficulties, but those two things improved a lot." Lee Soo-keun, as a fellow parent, congratulated him, saying, "It's wonderful because the time you invested can feel rewarding."
Seo Jang-hoon said, "It's not exactly the same for Sugeun, but when his second child was born he was a bit sick. Now he is doing fine with no problems," and Chef Lee Dong-jun said, "I think you would understand my feelings well."
Lee Soo-keun said, "There were many articles about me regarding my son. So when I cried during interviews, people said I was playing to the emotions. Still, I don't care at all," and added, "Whether you're selling emotion or doing whatever, if you let people who see someone else's tears and say, 'look at that' make you waver, then I don't think you're fit as a father or husband. I don't think there's any need to be swayed by that. We are fathers and must be strong," offering advice from his experience.
Seo Jang-hoon also said, "The important thing is the hearts of parents who hope their precious child will live well without major worries in the future. It's natural to cry just thinking about that child's face. But importantly, Dong-jun is also someone's son. The grandson is struggling now for various reasons, but from the parents' perspective they'll think, 'Our son will have a hard life too.' That is also very painful for the parents. The father- and mother-in-law of your wife will also be saddened to see their precious daughter suffer," and he encouraged, "It's good to do your best for the child now, but it would also be good for the two of you to enjoy your lives a bit more leisurely and care for the child together."
Chef Lee Dong-jun showed a moved expression, saying, "I think I did well appearing on Ask Us Anything Fortune Teller today. Those were very precious words."
Meanwhile, Lee Soo-keun and Park Ji-yeon's second son, now a high school student, was born prematurely at 1.6 kg at seven months' gestation and suffered from cerebral palsy, but is reported to have now recovered normally. He is currently studying abroad, having left Korea to focus on his studies.<
[Photo] 'Ask Us Anything Fortune Teller' screen capture, SNS
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