[Harumanbo Harucheonja] "Walking along Gapchonbyeon, thinking and taking notes, after a year it became a book"

'The Model of Public Service' Jeong Yang-ho, Former President of Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology Evaluation and Planning

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-ju] Jeong Yang-ho, former president of the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology Evaluation and Planning, took a time travel trip to Jeongdongjin with his wife last month to celebrate Christmas Eve and their 36th wedding anniversary. It is a place they visited on foot along the Haeparang Trail in 2017 and a destination for several family trips. Jeong, who retired from his 38-year public service career last September after serving as the president of the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology Evaluation and Planning, is now a free man.

Jeong is known as a master of walking and writing not only in government circles but also among bookstore communities. He reads over 100 books annually and leaves reviews, making him well known as a Yes24 power blogger. He believes, "Although life is busy, if you have peace of mind, you can carve out time to do various things." During his public service, he mainly read during early mornings and train rides, and walked with his wife on weekends. While serving as the head of the Public Procurement Service, he reflected on his 30 years of public service and had many words he wanted to leave for junior officials. He often conceived and began writing these thoughts while walking 10,000 steps along the Gapcheon River in Daejeon before work. After about a year of effort, these writings were compiled into a book titled Sometimes Take the Road Less Traveled, a white paper for working life.

Jeong said, "I feel like I lived busily and diligently, but when I look back, there are many times I feel empty because I have nothing to boast about." He added, "So I tried to set goals for things I definitely wanted to do each year and gradually put them into practice." This is a way to add momentum to a monotonous daily life and increase the power of execution. He likes the Confucian saying, "Look far ahead but focus on the small things you can do today and do your best, and you will surely achieve it." To office workers, he recommends, "Make a bucket list of things you really want to do and start taking small steps to accomplish them today."

The biggest advantage of walking, according to him, is that it is an exercise you can do anytime and anywhere. Walking in daily life is good wherever you are. However, to build regularity and make it a habit, he recommends choosing one famous course per year to walk. While serving as the head of the Public Procurement Service, he walked the 800km Haeparang Trail along the East Coast on weekends, and during his tenure as president of the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology Evaluation and Planning, he completed the Jeju Olle Trail. These days, he is walking the Seohaerang Trail, which stretches from Ganghwa to Haenam. He also wants to walk the Santiago pilgrimage route and trekking courses in the Himalayas. He says it is good to select one or two favorite courses of your own.

Jeong Yang-ho, former President of the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology.

Jeong reads books and leaves reviews on his blog. It has been 16 years now, and he has posted over 2,000 reviews. When reading books, he notes down key messages or interesting passages to use when writing reviews. He prefers to read books cleanly without marking them and often gifts them to people around him.

Jeong said, "Anyone can easily think about something with their head and feel it with their heart, but putting it into practice with hands and feet is difficult and a long journey." He added, "Encouraging each other and practicing together is also a good method. The ‘One Day 10,000 Steps, One Day 1,000 Characters’ movement provides such momentum. I hope many people participate and that it becomes a valuable opportunity to maintain health."

Editor's NoteAsia Economy is conducting the ‘2023 Nationwide Brain Health Project’ by promoting the ‘One Day 10,000 Steps, One Day 1,000 Characters’ movement. This movement encourages walking 10,000 steps and writing 1,000 characters daily to maintain a sharp brain in a healthy centenarian era. To support this, the ‘One Day 10,000 Steps, One Day 1,000 Characters Newsletter’ provides subscribers with recommended walking courses and writing content. The ‘One Day 10,000 Steps, One Day 1,000 Characters’ movement is the most cost-effective and wise exercise to protect yourself and your family.