Singer Lee Chan-won Surprises with His Running Pace on 'Celebrity Soldier's Secret'

Singer Lee Chan-won (31) has surprised everyone by revealing that he maintains a running pace in the late 4-minute range.

The upcoming episode of KBS 2TV's 'Celebrity Soldier's Secret,' airing on the 28th, will spotlight the story of Sohn Kee-chung, Korea's first Olympic gold medalist, who continued to run despite the enormous barrier of Japanese colonial rule.

Recently, the running craze, particularly among the MZ generation, has evolved beyond a mere trend to become a cultural phenomenon. On this episode, Oh My Girl's Hyojung, a runner of three years, will share the allure of running that she has personally experienced. In response, Lee Chan-won also reveals, "I don't do much other exercise, but I maintain a running pace in the late 4-minute range."

Born in the poor village of Sinuiju, young Sohn Kee-chung was so unique that he would carry a stone while racing with neighborhood kids to ensure fairness. Even when his mother opposed his running, he wrapped his feet with straw rope to keep his women's rubber shoes from slipping off and ran until he bled. However, Sohn did not initially dream of marathon running. Although he proved his talent by completing his first official 5,000-meter race at 19 in 16 minutes and 3 seconds, he thought running 40,000 meters was too much. His change of heart came unexpectedly from a letter from America. What could have been in that letter?

As the 1936 Berlin Olympics approached, the studio was abuzz when Japan's schemes to block Korean athletes' participation were revealed. Ultimately, Sohn Kee-chung won the gold medal with an Olympic record of 2 hours, 29 minutes, and 19.2 seconds, but he couldn't raise his head on the podium. After returning home, he quietly disappeared from the spotlight. Why did he have to give up marathon running after reaching the top of the world?

The episode will also feature history teacher Kim Jun-woo, who will delve into the stories of athletes and supporters during the Japanese colonial period that we may not know. Particularly, when it was revealed that writer Hyun Jin-geon of the novel 'A Lucky Day' served time in prison for the 'Erasure of the Japanese Flag Incident,' where he erased the Japanese flag from Sohn Kee-chung's chest, Jang Do-yeon lamented, "Why don't they teach this in school?"

'Celebrity Soldier's Secret' airs on the 28th at 8:30 PM.

Jung Se-yoon, Ten Asia Reporter yoon@tenasia.co.kr