A touching story of a male singer who overcame childhood trauma and speech loss moved viewers.
On the October 14th episode of KBS1TV's 'Morning Yard', the 'Challenge Dream Stage' featured contestants vying for their third win.
During the broadcast, Yoon Sung-jun introduced himself as a singer from Ansan and cautiously shared his past.
He confessed that he suffered from speech loss as a child, revealing, "In sixth grade, I was severely beaten by the baseball team, which caused a severe head injury and led to speech loss."
Yoon was hospitalized from sixth grade until the second year of middle school, but his speech loss persisted. He shared, "Even when I tried to speak, no sound came out. Friends would mock me, calling me mute or disabled. It was so difficult that I even wanted to die," he said calmly.
For Yoon, the only hope was singing. "Becoming a singer seemed impossible when I couldn't even speak. But I never gave up on singing. Even without sound, I kept singing," he recalled. "Then a miracle happened. After about three years, I started to make sounds." Eventually, at 21, he sang on a festival stage, realizing his dream of becoming a singer.
However, everyday conversations remained challenging. After marrying and having a beautiful daughter, new worries emerged. "When my daughter was about a year old, I couldn't sleep, fearing she might not speak because of me," he shared, explaining how he began working hard for her.
He started self-training for his daughter. Yoon said, "For nine months, I practiced speaking by reading books aloud every day," and now he can speak about 90% fluently. He added, "I want to be a dad who shares many conversations with his daughter," leaving a lasting impression.
Na-yeon Jo, TenAsia Reporter nybluebook@tenasia.co.kr