A man who was a juvenile offender appeared on ‘Baek Jong-won's Les Misérables’ to confess his past mistakes and express his remorse.
In the first episode of ENA’s ‘Les Misérables’ aired on the 30th of last month, Kim Dong-jun, who received a 9th level disposition for habitual theft in the past, appeared as a mentee. ‘Les Misérables’ is a program where four famous chefs, including Baek Jong-won and Yoon Nam-no, pass on their business secrets to over 20 mentees.
Kim Dong-jun stated, “I wanted to show that someone like me is trying to live hard in society,” and added, “I received a 9th level disposition for juvenile protection and was sent to a juvenile detention center, where I stayed for six months.”
He confessed, “At that time, I opened an unlocked car and stole its contents. I sold the mobile phone that was inside and used the cards,” and said, “I did wrong to the point of regret. It’s countless.” He mentioned that his unfortunate family background had an impact on his actions.
He reflected on his childhood, saying, “When my parents divorced in the first grade of elementary school, I started living at my uncle's house. I was beaten for not receiving proper education. It was a daily occurrence. I had bruises all over my body.” He shared that he was bullied at school for being dirty and smelly, and he didn’t want to live anymore. After entering high school, he ran away from home and began stealing out of hunger.
Regarding the turning point in his life, he said, “When I went to the juvenile detention center for reoffending, a teacher there asked, ‘Why are you trying to give up when you can do it?’ That’s when I started looking for what I could do,” and added, “Now I regret it and want to apologize to the victims I couldn’t meet. That’s my mindset going into ‘Baek Jong-won's Les Misérables.’ I want to work two or three times harder than usual.”
Baek Jong-won commented on the controversy surrounding the participants, saying, “In the novel Les Misérables, what changed Jean Valjean’s life was the bishop’s silver candlesticks, faith, and opportunity,” expressing his desire to give them a chance for rehabilitation.
Baek said, “I have also failed many times. While there are lives that are beautiful from the start, there are also lives that become beautiful through repeated failures and mistakes,” and added, “Perhaps what we all need is a proper opportunity. It’s about creating a platform where those who had no opportunities can desperately confront their challenges. This is a challenge for both me and them. If it’s desperate, change is possible.”
