[One Day 10,000 Steps One Day 1,000 Characters] "Why the 18,172 Steps Commute Is Enjoyable... Healthy Body, Mind, and Society"

Munsongcheon KAIST Business School Emeritus Professor
"Walks 12km Commute Daily"
Interview While Walking 18,172 Steps Together
Seongsu Bridge - Seoul Forest - Hanyang University - University of Seoul - KAIST Business School
Walking Takes 2 Hours 12 Minutes

[Asia Economy Reporter Byeon Seon-jin] Professor Moon Song-cheon, Emeritus Professor at KAIST College of Business (71), walks to work every day from Apgujeong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, to Hongneung in Dongdaemun-gu, where KAIST College of Business is located. The walking route alone takes 2 hours. Although it would take only 9 km if he went directly and quickly, he deliberately walks 12 km by going around Hanyang University and the University of Seoul. Professor Moon is recognized as the top authority in the field of computer databases and is considered Korea’s first Ph.D. in computer science. His 1977 book, "Introduction to Computers," became Korea’s first computer science textbook and greatly contributed to the development of Korean IT. Since 1999, walking has become a daily routine in his life.

Walking 12 km Commute for Over 20 Years

On the morning of the 4th, the reporter walked the commute route that Professor Moon walks every day, starting from Seongsu Bridge passing Apgujeong Middle and High School in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Thanks to his long experience walking this route, Professor Moon knew all 25 Han River bridge courses. "Yanghwa Bridge takes the longest time to walk, while Dongjak Bridge is the shortest." When crossing the Han River via Seongsu Bridge, the reporter asked why he walks the 2-hour commute. He recalled two major painful experiences in his life.

The first trigger was when he suffered from acute hepatitis during his first year of university and narrowly escaped death. "In my first year, I collapsed after studying without sleeping and was diagnosed with acute hepatitis. Until then, I had no health problems, so I didn’t exercise and just focused on my goals. But when I hit a dead end, I realized the importance of exercise." From then on, he started playing soccer and tennis but had not yet realized the importance of walking.

The direct reason he became passionate about walking was in 1999, just before the new millennium, when he traveled worldwide to solve the Y2K (Year 2000 problem ? a computer bug where the year 2000 was recognized as 1900) issue, which drained his stamina. At that time, there was even a hypothesis that if the Y2K problem was not solved globally, the Earth could be destroyed by computer errors. As a computer science authority, Professor Moon could not afford to rest. This was why he did not engage in intense exercise. Around this time, marathon running, an elite sport, began to spread among the general public. Professor Moon said, "I lacked confidence, so I started walking as a fitness test and succeeded in completing a marathon. Since then, I have walked the 2-hour commute every day." He added, "The driving force behind completing 41 full marathons without running practice came from walking."

Before Incheon International Airport was built, he even deliberately walked 25 km to Gimpo Airport from Apgujeong, pulling his suitcase for a business trip to New York. "When I was at my peak, if it rained while walking to Gimpo Airport, I didn’t take a taxi but stopped by a convenience store to buy an umbrella and continued walking. After resting well on the 13-hour flight, I had more energy and could achieve better results."

Walking for 1 Hour Feels ‘Already Halfway There’

Despite the chilly weather at minus 3 degrees Celsius, after walking for 30 minutes, we arrived at Seoul Forest in Seongdong-gu, where it felt a bit warm. "Intense sports like soccer and tennis often cause injuries, but there is no exercise as easy and efficient as walking. Before I started walking, I used to suffer from body aches annually like clockwork, but for 24 years since then, I haven’t had minor illnesses like colds."

"What about those who are not used to walking like me?" the reporter asked. "Without any goal, it’s easy to give up after three days. It’s hard to keep going," Professor Moon advised setting small goals for walking and then bigger ones. "It may seem far from Yangjae Station to Hakyeoul Station, but it’s only 4 km. You can walk it slowly in about an hour." He also recommended starting with 6.5 km (10,000 steps) and eventually practicing 12 km walks.

He said it’s also good to walk with family members who can support each other. Professor Moon said, "When I lectured at the University of Cambridge and the University of Edinburgh in the UK, the British would walk 10 to 15 km on country paths around their homes with their families on January 1st as a New Year’s tradition, sharing plans for the year. In contrast, we endure 4 to 5 hours of traffic jams by car to see the sunrise and sometimes get angry. Walking together and having sincere conversations might be a good alternative."

"Busy office workers can’t walk during their commute, right?" the reporter asked again.

"You need to reflect on whether you really lack time or just lack willpower. How many people do you think live their 24 hours fully packed? If you get off at Apgujeong Station where your office is, you could get off one station earlier at Sinsa Station and walk. You can also reduce the time spent on your smartphone daily. Time management is a solvable issue."

Healthy Body, Society, Creativity... Catching ‘Three Rabbits’

It took 1 hour and 30 minutes to reach Hanyang University. The reporter said to Professor Moon, "As you get older, walking like this might become difficult." Professor Moon said walking should be thought of as "a savings plan for stamina."

"It’s important to walk steadily in advance to delay the time when you can’t walk. Muscles shrink if you don’t use them. As you age, exercising without injury is also important, and walking is the best exercise. Other sports have age limits?soccer at 40, tennis at 50, marathon at 60?but walking has none. It’s the only sustainable exercise. After retirement and as you get older, you spend more time at home, so you should think positively that you have ‘more time to walk.’"

Professor Moon believes that consistent walking can lead to a ‘social exercise.’ "When your body becomes healthy, you start thinking about others. In this sense, an increase in walkers is connected to building a healthy society."

Walking along Cheonggyecheon from Hanyang University, passing Seoul City University toward Cheongnyangni Station, and finally arriving at KAIST College of Business took a total of 2 hours and 12 minutes. The step count was 18,172 steps. This is how Professor Moon’s morning begins. "I will continue to walk to work like this in the future," he said.

Munsongcheon, KAIST Emeritus Professor / Photo by Younghan Heo younghan@

Professor Moon said that solutions to problems that couldn’t be solved while working in a confined space often come to him during his commute. He credits walking as the driving force behind his ability to write 21 IT books and over 200 academic papers without getting exhausted throughout his academic career. He also encourages his students to walk whenever possible. "A student I advised to walk later became a professor and told his students to walk as well. Walking, which can catch the three rabbits of a healthy body, society, and creativity, is truly the best exercise, isn’t it?"

Editor's Note
Asia Economy is conducting the ‘2023 Nationwide Brain Health Project’ by promoting the ‘10,000 Steps and 1,000 Characters a Day’ campaign. This campaign encourages walking 10,000 steps and writing 1,000 characters daily to maintain a healthy centenarian era and a sharp brain. Subscribers to the ‘10,000 Steps and 1,000 Characters a Day Newsletter’ receive recommended walking courses and writing content. The campaign is the most cost-effective and wise exercise to protect yourself and your family.