(picture: Lee Minho (very left) holding hands with his kindergarten girlfriend)
According to his mother, Lee Minho from age 5 and throughout elementary school was a quiet kid but despite that was very personable and had a lot of friends. Minho was also apparently (surprise, surprise) very popular with the girls.
In Minho’s mother’s words: Minho started playing soccer at an early age and was enrolled in the legendary soccer coach Cha Bum Geun’s little league. He showed a lot of potential and would repeatedly say at the time that becoming a professional soccer player was his dream.
When Minho was around 5 years old, he had a traumatic experience in which he got separated from his mom at a playground. Fortunately, Minho was wearing an id bracelet and was safely back home. The adult Minho still remembers and talks about that day, showing how awful it must have been for a little kid.
When Minho started elementary school, he fell in love with video/computer games and would end up playing all day if I did not stop him. Minho’s dad was the ultimate softie and unfortunately, I would have to play the bad cop in order to enforce discipline in our household. Although we weren’t rich, as parents we wanted to give our kids the very best and would often give them generous allowances. Minho was very good about not using all of it and putting most of his allowance into savings. I still remember on Mother’s day, Minho (shy about showing outward affection) would hand me a carnation and run away but not before saying, “Mom, wear this today”.
Once Minho entered middle school, he was always being approached by casting agents on the street. At first, we didn’t think much of it but Minho started going on auditions by himself and seemed to be enjoy what he found as he explored the road to becoming an actor. In middle school, Minho admired Seol Kyung Gyu and in high school he would say that he would like to become an actor like Kim Su Ro (Stepmother, from Family outing).
Minho told us one time that he had heard that Kim Soo Ro, after achieving fame and success, had taken to his parents an apple box full of 10,000 won (10 dollar) bills. Minho promised us that when he became famous, he would do that and even more.
to be continued… (Lee Minho’s early modeling days-present)
