Lee Chan-won visits alma mater after 20 years... shares memories of running for student council president

Lee Chan-won shared childhood stories by visiting his alma mater, Seonwon Elementary School, and Igok Rose Park in ’Chanttoya Where Are You Going? Daegu Edition’ EP.02. The second part of the hometown tour in Daegu included memories of singing trot at school, the place where his parents ran a makchang restaurant, and how to eat fish soup. Visiting his alma mater for the first time in 20 years, Lee Chan-won introduced the school as the place where his trot career began. He also explained that he was an early graduate who enrolled shortly after the school opened. He looked around the scenery behind the school and a mart he remembered from his time there, expressing regret that the three stationery stores that used to be in front of the school were no longer visible. The school motto, ″Rightly, Strongly, Wisely,″ and the rock garden remained unchanged. He also revisited facilities that used to have peeling paint. The phrase written at the school had changed from ″A joyful school full of dreams and love″ to ″Happy education opening the future with dreams and love.″ He said that during his school days, he enjoyed hanging out with friends, liked being in the spotlight, and enjoyed wearing hats. Loving trot and singing, he always sang at school, including the school anthem. Although a little disappointed by the changes, he recalled that the school had not changed as much as he had expected. He also recalled standing alongside other candidates during the student council president election campaign. While he did not remember the specific promises, he said he sang during his speech and won with a 93:7 vote. At school, he talked with children who recognized him and took pictures. One child said that his grandmother liked Lee Chan-won. Upon hearing that the children he met were in the second grade and had only one class, he shared that when he attended, there were eight classes with 40 students each. He encouraged the children to study hard and expressed gratitude and well wishes for everyone he met. At the next location, Igok Rose Park, he explained that it was not rose season and that roses bloom around May and June. After meeting a citizen who knew his father, he pointed to the site of Hoya Makchang in front of the park. It was the place where his parents had run a business for a long time, and the store’s name at the time was Bultina Makchang. He recalled that after he became Mr. Trot and succeeded, the store also prospered. He said the park’s restroom had been upgraded from what looked like a simple restroom in the past to a more sophisticated one. In spring, roses bloom on both sides, and performances were held in the plaza. Although he never performed on stage himself, he explained that seniors like Lee Chi-hyun came to perform. The park was mostly similar to before, but grass had been laid on the ground, which he remembered as brick or cement. Looking at the library he used to visit as a child, he said he went there to study but quickly corrected himself, joking that he went there to sleep. While walking on the acupressure path, which he said he hadn’t done in about 10 years, he screamed in pain. He also mentioned hearing that the more it hurts, the worse the body condition is. He said the park does not have many attractions but can be considered a resting place for local residents in their daily lives. At the dining place, he said he had come there yesterday as well and suggested eating quickly to free up the busy restaurant. During the meal scene introducing Daegu’s top 10 dishes, he showed how to eat fish soup by first picking out the dough flakes and vegetables, then eating the meat after boiling it longer. After finishing the meal, he said he would contact them the next time he came down to Daegu. While moving afterward, he said he would send the next destination via chat and introduced that he was heading to a place he visited every Monday during his childhood. The five-part series ’Chanttoya Where Are You Going?’ is released every Friday at 6 p.m., and the full version is available only on the YouTube Lee Chan-won channel.