'Peter Pan's dad,' who raised son with severe autism alone, dies 24 days after 'You Quiz' appearance
Jeon Gyeong-cheol / Captured from tvN D ENT YouTube Channel
Author Jeon Gyeong-cheol, who shared his story of raising a son with severe autism as a single father on television programs including “You Quiz on the Block,” has died.
Jeong Yu-jin, head of a forum for specialists supporting people with developmental disabilities, announced his death on social media Sunday.
“Jeon Gyeong-cheol, 'Peter Pan’s dad,' set off on his long journey at 7:56 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026,” she wrote. She added that the funeral would be held without a public wake in accordance with his wishes.
The author had been raising his 27-year-old son, who has severe autism and the cognitive abilities of a 2- or 3-year-old, on his own. After being diagnosed with terminal liver cancer, Jeon began searching for a place where his son could live after his death. He documented the journey in an essay collection published this year, whose title roughly translates to “Goodbye, Peter Pan.”
The cover of Jeon Gyeong-cheol’s essay collection “Goodbye, Peter Pan” / Captured from Kyobo Book Centre
Until the end, he continued working toward his dream of creating "Neverland," a community for people with developmental disabilities. He had pledged to donate royalties and related proceeds from “Goodbye, Peter Pan” toward establishing the Peter Pan Foundation, with the aim of building a community offering round-the-clock care.
The author’s story drew public attention through television coverage, including an appearance on MBC’s “True Story” in March and, more recently, on “You Quiz on the Block.”
Appearing on “You Quiz on the Block” on Aug. 12, Jeon said he had lived more than twice as long as doctors at the world’s fifth-ranked hospital had predicted, crediting his son with keeping him going. Asked what he wanted to tell his son, he gave a poignant answer.
“It wouldn’t be honest to say I want him to forget all about his dad and live only for his own happiness. I want to remain a man he vaguely remembers. A man who, for reasons he couldn’t understand, suddenly grew old but was warm and kind. Someone he can’t quite place, but finds himself missing whenever he comes to mind.”
Following his death, the production team behind “You Quiz on the Block” paid tribute to Jeon on its official social media account Sunday.
“Author Jeon Gyeong-cheol dreamed until the very end of a better world for people with developmental disabilities,” the team wrote. “We were grateful to be able to share his hopes on ‘You Quiz.’ We will long remember the love he left behind. May he rest in peace.”
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.