Lee Dong-gun's family went on a long-awaited trip to Hongcheon.
On the afternoon of the 2nd, the SBS entertainment program 'My Ugly Duckling' (hereinafter 'My Ugly Duckling') featured Lee Dong-gun's family traveling to Hongcheon.
On this day’s broadcast, Lee Dong-gun revealed the reason for heading to Hongcheon, saying, "It's the only travel destination I went to with my younger brother Jun-yeob," and his father reminisced, "At that time, Jun-yeob was studying abroad in Australia and we went there during his vacation."
When his mother said, "I just visited Jun-yeob the day before yesterday," Lee Dong-gun understood her feelings, saying, "We came here to refresh our mood."
The three arrived at a restaurant that Lee Dong-gun had reserved, and he ordered samgyetang, saying, "Last time we couldn't eat samgyetang, so we had frog, right?" As dishes like samgyetang and rice cake were served, the three enjoyed their meal.
After the meal, they headed to the ski resort, which was the second course prepared by Dong-gun. He said, "We're going to take the gondola up to the top. We're not skiing; it's just a viewpoint," as he brought his parents along. Maintaining a bit of distance, the three remained silent, and the father attempted to start a conversation, saying, "It seems like we're the only ones going," but it quickly turned back to silence.
The silence continued even in the gondola, prompting Lee Dong-gun to break the ice, saying, "I think it would be nice to bring Roa here when she gets a little bigger." However, silence followed again, and the panel watching the VCR expressed their frustration, saying, "Oh, this is frustrating," and "Dong-gun, you should talk more."
After what felt like ten years in ten minutes, they arrived at the top and reached the heart photo zone. Lee Dong-gun said, "I'll take a picture for you," trying to create a lively atmosphere. The couple pretended to be affectionate, but due to the awkwardness, Dong-gun struggled alone, saying, "Be more affectionate~ More affectionate! Can we do a cheek kiss?"
Later, the three reached the aerial swing located 580 meters above sea level, and the father unexpectedly held his mother's hand, saying, "Lean back! Hold this tightly." When Lee Dong-gun said, "Let's do a heart pose!" his parents posed happily, bringing joy to the viewers.
Upon arriving at the pension, they looked around the room and prepared dinner. Lee Dong-gun said, "I'll make soft tofu stew," indicating he would cook alone while his parents spent time together. However, an awkward silence lingered, and eventually, the mother said, "I feel like I haven't walked ten thousand steps, so I'm going to take a walk outside."
When the mother returned, she tasted Dong-gun's stew and commented, "It's a bit spicy?" Then she said, "I'll try making soybean paste stew," and began cooking soybean paste stew and cabbage pancakes.
During the meal, Lee Dong-gun asked, "Did you two not talk at all even when you were newlyweds?" The father replied, "There was no conversation back then either. After the day we met, we didn't have any calls," making Dong-gun burst into laughter. The mother added, "In our neighborhood, there were about 100 households, and there was only one phone at the village chief's house. Your father called the village chief's house in the middle of the night. He had to run to our house to tell me," and the father reminisced, "I called because I wanted to hear your voice."
The father continued, "But since it was someone else's phone, I couldn't talk long. I just asked if you were doing well and ended it!" revealing his dating story.
He also expressed, "You've been married and divorced, so find a good person. If you think about living like this, you have no siblings, and you're alone, your later years will be really lonely. What others think doesn't matter. I wanted to tell you this," showing his concern for Lee Dong-gun. Dong-gun responded, "That's a bit touching. I didn't expect to hear this from you. I guess I'm ready to accept that now."
Later, Lee Dong-gun presented a framed picture to his parents, saying, "This isn't just a gift; it's a gift for me too." The mother exclaimed, "Oh, who is this? Is it my son?" The father was puzzled, saying, "But why does this face look so unfamiliar to me?" Dong-gun clarified, "Don't you recognize him? If Jun-yeob were here now, he would look like this," revealing that it was an AI-generated image of his younger brother.
Dong-gun also handed over another photo of the four of them together, and the father was left speechless. Dong-gun reminisced, "Jun-yeob really hated taking pictures. I used to give him perms and stuff," and the mother added, "He said he respected his older brother. He would have been 1 cm shorter than you."
The father, who had been silent, said, "It's a past story, but I think I was too strict with him, so he really disliked me. But I distanced myself from him at an age when he should have been studying, and he was just playing games. I broke the computer a few times. You're a celebrity, and you're on your own path, so I sometimes think I should have just let him play games for life," showing signs of self-blame.
He continued, "I never forgot Jun-yeob for ten years after he was gone. I lived with immense guilt, thinking it was my fault he left. After ten years, I realized I still couldn't let him go. So I thought I should let him go quickly. I shouldn't hold on any longer," revealing how difficult it was for him to let go of his son.
When Lee Dong-gun asked, "How do you feel about moving from the house you've lived in for 30 years?" the father replied, "I've been thinking about leaving this house for a long time, but I waited because your mother didn't want to."
The mother said, "After losing Jun-yeob, my memory has faded a lot. I didn't remember anything about Hongcheon. When I think about moving, my heart races and I feel anxious. I told Jun-yeob, 'We're moving. Will you be able to find us?'" which left the panel members feeling heavy-hearted.
In the second segment of 'My Ugly Duckling,' Lee Sang-min, Lucky, Fabian, and Joseph were seen hosting a 'Lonely Foreigners' Lunar New Year Party.' Lucky revealed, "I felt a bit awkward calling Joseph after he got married, but he asked me to call him, so that's why we held the party," making everyone laugh.
Joseph, who planned to prepare fine dining course meals, said, "Since it's Lunar New Year, I'll make a fusion of Australian New Year food and Korean food. It's chicken parmigiana," and began cooking. He then brought out a special drink, and after tasting it, Lee Sang-min exclaimed, "It's perilla leaf! The carbonation is so refreshing," while Lucky enjoyed the perilla leaf juice, saying, "It's super refreshing."
After tasting the chicken parmigiana, Lee Sang-min said, "I thought it might be salty because of the kimchi, but the seasoning is perfect!" and devoured it. The four enjoyed various dishes like assorted pancakes, curry, and galette, having a great time at the party.
Lucky shared, "I recently went to India, and my mom told me to marry an Indian. Now it feels like international marriage. I like Korean food, so I think I should marry a Korean woman to be comfortable," making everyone laugh.
Lucky added, "In India, they spend up to 20% of their wealth on weddings. It's a bit of a flex. I think Indians are ESFPs. It's not easy to get divorced after a big wedding," to which Lee Sang-min replied, "That's why I want to go," making the Mobengers laugh once again.
'My Ugly Duckling' airs every Sunday at 9:05 PM on SBS.
[Seo Ye-ji, Star Today Guest Reporter]
