Broadcaster Lee Sang-min has joined a project to find long-term missing children in honor of Family Month.
Appearing as an interviewee on the May 7 broadcast of SBS’s ‘Kkokkomu’ (The Tale of the Day) in the special episode “Finding Long-term Missing Children 2 – Searching for Her,” Lee Sang-min shared a heartbreaking story he had kept in his heart for a long time.
The episode revisited the case of Song Hye-hee, who went missing in Pyeongtaek in 1999 and was sought by the entire nation. Recalling that time, Lee Sang-min started by saying, “Since I was very active in 1999, the banners on the streets really caught my eye.”
He continued, “Even when I went for regional shoots, I saw the father hanging banners, thinking, ‘He has come here too.’ Every time I saw that, it touched me deeply.” He explained his motivation for joining the project, saying, “I can post on SNS, but the father had to travel the whole country himself, so I felt I had to participate in any way I could.”
Lee Sang-min’s efforts were even more moving because they weren’t just a one-time thing. Back in 2015, he used his SNS to urge public attention, posting a photo of a banner with the message, “Please help find the missing Song Hye-hee.”
Lee Sang-min shared, “Around 1998, I happened to see the father installing a banner at the south end of Hannam Bridge, and my heart just felt heavy and pained.” He added that he posted on SNS years later because he wanted more people to remember the case, showing his consistent interest.
Lee Sang-min was particularly heartbroken by the news that Song Hye-hee’s father passed away without ever reuniting with his daughter, despite dedicating his entire life to finding her. He confessed, “While preparing for this broadcast, I learned that the father had passed away, and my heart felt so heavy.”
Finally, he emphasized, “Long-term missing cases may fade from people’s memories as time passes, but for the families, it is still an ongoing story in the present.” He added a sincere message, “Since it is Family Month, it makes me think more about the meaning of family. I truly hope that those who have not yet returned can reunite with their beloved families.”
Meanwhile, this ‘Kkokkomu’ special is a national project involving 26 celebrities, including Lee Sang-min, to raise awareness for 1,192 long-term missing children.
