Lee visits Wanggung Elementary School in Iksan, North Jeolla Province

One student shouts 'You're handsome!' at the president

President Lee Jae Myung encourages students after competing alongside them at a fall sports day held at Wanggung Elementary School in Iksan, North Jeolla Province, on Thursday. [Yonhap]
President Lee Jae Myung encourages students after competing alongside them at a fall sports day held at Wanggung Elementary School in Iksan, North Jeolla Province, on Thursday. [Yonhap]

President Lee Jae Myung spent Thursday running and laughing alongside children at a fall sports day, marking the season's school athletics events.

Lee visited Wanggung Elementary School in Iksan, North Jeolla Province, joining in the festivities, cheering on the students and meeting local residents. The school, founded in 1925, sent off its 100th graduating class earlier this year.

When Lee made a surprise appearance on the school grounds that morning, children and parents erupted in cheers and applause.

The students could barely believe a sitting president had shown up to their sports day, jumping up and down and calling out, "Is this real?" and "Is that actually the president?"

"It's been a long time since I attended an elementary school sports day," Lee told the crowd. "I'll try to make this even more fun for you."

He added that he had been looking for a sports day to attend and ended up there, and urged the children to have a healthy and happy day — and to be careful not to fall and get hurt while playing hard.

When one student shouted "You're handsome!" at the top of their lungs, the parents burst out laughing.

The sports day was organized around two competing teams: "Wangi" and "Gungi."

Lee joined the Wangi team, standing side by side with the children for a gym-ball relay in which players moved a large exercise ball along a long cloth. Every small move Lee made drew laughter from the kids — including one moment when a large ball flew toward him and he bounced it off his head.

When Lee shouted "Go Wangi team!", the children looked startled and called back, "We're the Gungi team!", sending everyone into fits of laughter.

President Lee Jae Myung poses for a photo with students at a fall sports day held at Wanggung Elementary School in Iksan, North Jeolla Province, on Thursday. [Yonhap]
President Lee Jae Myung poses for a photo with students at a fall sports day held at Wanggung Elementary School in Iksan, North Jeolla Province, on Thursday. [Yonhap]

After the sports day wrapped up, Lee moved to the school cafeteria and had lunch with the students — a school meal of organic whole-grain rice, dried pollack soup, spicy stir-fried chicken, seasoned cabbage, shredded potato pancakes and kiwi.

Lee asked detailed questions about how many first-graders were enrolled, whether student numbers were continuing to fall and what conditions were like in the area. He also listened to the principal and teachers share their views on the importance of small rural schools and what it would take to improve conditions for people to stay and put down roots in the region.

When the student sitting next to him, Kim Ye-ha, introduced herself as the school's vice president, Lee asked how many votes she had received in the election. Kim proudly replied that she had run unopposed and won the approval of all but five students in the school. "That's an overwhelming mandate," Lee said, visibly impressed.

Lee closed by sharing a childhood memory: "When we had fall sports days at school, they used to give each of us an apple — I loved that so much. Hong-ok apples were such a rare treat that I could only eat one once a year, so I always looked forward to the fall sports day."


sang@heraldcorp.com