A heartwarming story unfolded on the “Challenge Dream Stage” segment of ‘AM Plaza’ as a contestant appeared who had bravely overcome his appearance complexes.
During the KBS 1TV ‘AM Plaza’ broadcast on the morning of May 20, contestant Lee Seung-chul sparked curiosity when he explained that he had to wear a mask while sharing his story due to personal reasons.
Lee Seung-chul, who revealed he took the stage to conquer his insecurities about his looks, left the audience stunned by revealing that he walked 450km from Busan to Seoul over 17 days, singing the entire way.
He shared, “I walk over 30,000 steps a day for eight hours. In total, I’ve probably walked halfway around the world.” He then opened up about the painful reason behind his walking, saying, “Since I was a child, I was teased as a ‘goblin’ or ‘alien’ because of my malocclusion, which led to severe social anxiety. I eventually dropped out of high school and just started walking on my own. I walked and walked.”
He continued, “I’ve been good at singing since elementary school, and my teachers always told me to become a singer. I spent my days walking and singing because I loved that there were no eyes on me while I walked.” He added, “Because of my social anxiety, I couldn’t even attend interviews for jobs or part-time work. I tried to avoid facing people by working as a motorcycle delivery rider or wearing a mask while working at a mart. However, I love singing so much and desperately wanted to be on stage. Even when I applied for song festivals, I lost my courage once I arrived at the venue because of my appearance.”
Lee revealed that he eventually received treatment for his malocclusion and got dentures. “It still feels very strange, and the dentures sometimes make my pronunciation trip up while singing,” he admitted. “But I will not hide anymore,” he declared, finally taking off his mask.
After delivering a powerful performance of “Lost 30 Years,” he was crowned the winner of the day. Lee Seung-chul expressed his gratitude, saying, “I can only say thank you. I was satisfied just by standing on this big stage and was prepared to go home, so I am truly grateful for this great award.”
