Lee pledges to honor 'Peter Pan dad,' vows stronger support for people with developmental disabilities

President Lee Jae Myung on Thursday paid tribute to the late Jeon Gyeong-cheol, known as "Peter Pan's dad," saying he would "not forget the future of his son that he worried about until the very end."

President Lee wrote this in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that day, saying, "The tears of a father who worried only about his son's future until the very last moment of his life touched the hearts of all of us."

He then said, "The story of Peter Pan's dad, who worried about his son's future until his final moment, is probably no different from the feelings of many parents raising children with disabilities," adding, "Even when parents are not by their side, children should not be left alone and should be able to live an ordinary daily life."

President Lee said, "On Thursday, the government announced a pan-government plan for the care of people with developmental disabilities," adding, "We will expand 24-hour integrated care for people with the most severe developmental disabilities and their participation in daytime activities, and continue to strengthen support, including the public guardianship system."

Jeon called his son, who has severe autism, "Peter Pan" and raised him alone for more than 20 years. He died Saturday while battling terminal liver cancer.