Singer Lee Chan-won stands tall as the ‘KBS filial son’. With his calm speaking ability and hosting skills, Lee Chan-won is loved not only on stage but also in broadcasting, and he has been a driving force in viewer ratings by releasing 5 programs on KBS alone this year.

Following the currently airing ‘Immortal Songs’ ‘Newly Released Convenience Store Restaurant’, Lee Chan-won will present ‘Celebrity Soldier‘s Secret’, which will be aired for the first time on the 10th.

The program looks back on the illnesses and lives of various historical figures by combining world history, science, and humanities. In particular, it is drawing attention as it is the first to combine the ‘storytelling format’ (a talk show format in which guests talk about actual events), which is considered a recent entertainment trend, with medical materials.

He will lead the program with broadcaster Jang Do-yeon, (G)I-dle’s Miyeon, and ENT specialist Lee Nak-jun. At the online production presentation held on the 5th, Lee Chan-won said, “I‘m a history buff who never missed first place in social studies in high school. That’s why I thought that the material combining medicine and history would be really interesting and that I could do well,” revealing his extraordinary sense of responsibility as an MC. He also expressed confidence in the program‘s success, saying, “It will be a huge topic of conversation because you can look into the hidden lives of historical figures.”

This is the third time that Lee Chan-won has launched a new program on KBS. He received positive responses while hosting the economic-themed ‘High-end Salt Struggler’ from May to September, and on September 17, during the Chuseok holiday, he presented a special show named after himself, ‘Lee Chan-won’s Gift’. ‘Lee Chan-won‘s Gift’ recorded a whopping 7.4% in viewership ratings (Nielsen Korea) by pouring out all of his abilities as a trot singer.

Naturally, viewers’ attention is focused on whether Lee Chan-won will win the Grand Prize in Entertainment. There are already speculations both inside and outside the broadcasting industry that Lee Chan-won will win a major category at the ‘2024 KBS Entertainment Awards’ to be held on the 21st. He will also host the awards ceremony with actor Lee Joon and singer Lee Young-ji.


Reporter Yoo Ji-hye yjh0304@donga.com