This famous 1st gen idol spent a lot of money to help his grandfather defect from North Korea

The family history of a 1st gen idol, who was as popular as BTS and BLACKPINK back in the day, is being revisited. 

On September 29th, Lee Jae Won, a member of the top 1st gen boy group H.O.T., made a guest appearance on MBN’s program “Special World” and attracted attention.

Lee Jae Won, who has been preparing for his cosmetics business, honestly confessed the reason why he had not been seen on TV since 2007.

Lee Jae Won said he was battling thyroid cancer. He explained, “I felt burdened about appearing on broadcasts.” Fortunately, he has been cured and is healthy now. 

Lee Jae Won added, “Currently, I’m making a habit of eating healthy and managing my diet.”

This year marks the 26th anniversary of H.O.T.’s debut. Lee Jae Won raised expectations by saying that he will carry out his activities little by little within the scope of what he can do.

Along with Lee Jae Won’s good news about his comeback, his extraordinary family history is being revisited.

Surprisingly, Lee Jae Won’s grandfather was in North Korea, and he personally helped his grandfather escape from North Korea when he was active as an idol.

Lee Jae Won told this story when he appeared on Channel A’s “On My Way To Meet You” in 2017. He shared, “My grandfather defected from North Korea in the early 2000s. My father was separated from my grandfather during the Korean War when he was 5 years old. One day, a message came through a broker saying ‘I am looking for my son.'”

In fact, bringing his grandfather home was not as easy as he thought and it cost a lot of money. But Lee Jae Won decided to spend a large amount of money for his father to reunite with his grandfather.

Lee Jae Won said, “It cost a lot. At that time, I was active in H.O.T, so I had the money. I also had my savings.”

Meanwhile, H.O.T. is a 1st generation idol group that was as popular as the current era’s BTS and BLACKPINK. H.O.T. was launched and managed by SM Entertainment and consists of Tony Ahn, Jang Woo Hyuk, Moon Hee Jun, Lee Jae Won, and Kangta.

H.O.T. released many hit songs such as “Candy,” “Warrior’s Descendant,” “Wolf and Sheep,” “Happiness,” “Hope,” and “Fighting.” SM artists still sing H.O.T.’s “Hope” as the ending song whenever they hold the family concert “SMTOWN.”

Source: insight