San liked this post 🥺❤️
"The Visually Impaired Veteran Grandfather Who Raised The Grand Duke of the North"
The grandfather who raised ATEEZ’s Choi San was a national merit recipient who lost his eyesight during his military service. He ran a restaurant at Namhae Market and was a kind man who always extended a helping hand even to neighbors in need; his grandson, who received such boundless love, later said that his grandfather was the one who shaped the person he is today.
However, in 2021, while he was preparing for a competition, news arrived that his grandfather had passed away. His father played a pre-recorded voice message for the grandfather during his final moments; hearing that his grandfather’s heart rate had spiked at that sound made him think only of the things he hadn't been able to do for him. He held back his tears throughout the funeral. After the funeral, he later explained in a letter to fans that his grandfather is the type that had disliked seeing him cry, and he poured out the emotions he had kept bottled up. "I will do well without ever falling apart, Grandpa, because that is surely what he would want."
The day of the final live broadcast arrived for him where he had promised to face it without breaking down; he dressed in black, went up on the stage and finished the performance till the end in honor of his grandfather. Yet, the promise he made in his letter did not end with that performance; he wished to share the love his grandfather had given him with his fans. Starting in 2023, he began making annual donations of 5 million won to his hometown of Namhae, even donating the return gifts he received for his contributions to his neighbors.
Before aspiring to be a singer, he simply wanted to be a person with a genuine, human touch; now, with just a single movement on stage, he stirs the hearts of fans across borders. Although his grandfather is no longer by his side, the love he received from him has not vanished.