[Harumanbo Harucheonja] The Man of the King Who Walks 20,000 Steps a Day

Interview with Lee Jae-o, Standing Advisor of the People Power Party
Collected Diaries and Prison Letters Since High School into a Letter Collection
"Morning Hiking for Meditation, Night Diaries for Reflection"

The sense of liberation felt when emerging from a long tunnel is what best makes one realize the value of human existence. However, my past years were a continuous series of endless tunnels from which no clear sky could be seen, no matter how much I tried to get out. (Omitted) I want to confess that I, too, had those days that people who think highly of themselves usually experience (with some differences).

This is the opening part of the preface of the letter collection "Long Tunnel Blue Sky (2011)" published by Lee Jae-oh, Senior Advisor of the People Power Party. This book was created by compiling prison letters he sent to his family, parents, and siblings during the five times he was imprisoned in the 1970s and 1980s for democratization struggles. Lee, who was a Korean language teacher before joining the democratization movement, spent over ten years in prison.

After democratization, Lee first took office in the 15th National Assembly. Even when he was at the pinnacle of power as the leader of the 'Pro-Lee (Pro-Lee Myung-bak) faction' during the Lee Myung-bak administration, including serving as a special minister, there was one thing he never missed: writing a diary. Born in 1945 and now in his eighties, Lee has written a diary every day without fail since his high school days. This is one of his writing secrets.

Lee Jae-oh, an advisor of the People Power Party, is talking about his writing, walking, and political life in his office near Gwanghwamun, Seoul. Photo by Heo Younghan younghan@

"That evening, I sit down and record what I did today, and mainly take time for reflection."

Writing a diary every day, which became Lee's lifelong habit, is a 'time for introspection.' He said, "No matter how late or tired I am, I write my diary before going to bed," adding, "It's like eating a meal."

One advantage of diary writing is that it makes writing easier. Lee said, "Incidentally, it improves sentence skills and writing ability," and "Once I fix the topic, I write everything about it in one go. No matter how many pages it takes, I write it all at once until it's finished."

Recently, Lee has written a lot in his diary about not only the political landscape of our country but also the global political situation. He said, "I write and organize my thoughts about what happened that day regarding the country's affairs, economic issues, the Ukraine war, the T?rkiye earthquake, and domestic and international situations."

The diaries he wrote during the democratization movement were confiscated and never returned after a search by the Central Intelligence Agency. Still, dozens of diaries are stacked in one corner of his study. Lee wrote about 2 to 3 Yangji diaries per year just with his diary entries.

Diary books collected by Lee Jae-oh, Senior Advisor of the People Power Party. The diary, which he had been writing every day since high school, became a lifelong habit. He called them not diary books but "diary volumes." (Provided by the person)

Walking 20,000 Steps a Day... Sometimes Crossing Seogang Bridge on Foot When Visiting the National Assembly

Lee, who served five terms representing Eunpyeong-eul in Seoul, still lives in Gusan-dong. He wakes up every day at 5 a.m., stretches, and then heads out for a hike first thing. Regardless of snow, rain, or weather conditions, he spends about three to four hours every day climbing Bongsan. He said, "Walking for two hours and exercising for about one hour on the mountain amounts to about 12,000 steps," adding, "The remaining 8,000 steps are made up by riding the subway." He walks 20,000 steps a day. He usually takes the subway to commute between the National Assembly and broadcasting stations.

Lee Jae-oh, Standing Advisor of the People Power Party, writes the start and end dates every time he keeps a diary. (Provided by the person)

He began using the subway seriously from March last year. He cited three advantages of the subway. First, it’s good because you walk a lot; second, you can keep time precisely; and third, it doesn’t waste unnecessary manpower. He added, "Since I don’t drive, I would need a driver, but taking the subway reduces economic burden, is good for health, and has many benefits."

When coming to the National Assembly Broadcasting Station located inside the National Assembly building, he gets off at Gwangheungchang Station on Subway Line 6 and walks across Seogang Bridge. Thinking about what to say on the broadcast while walking, he arrives quickly. Since he appears on 2 to 3 broadcast programs a week, one can tell his health condition without even asking.

He also keeps records of his walking. While checking a mobile phone application himself, he said, "It is said that men in their 70s usually walk about 7,471 steps a day, but my average daily steps in January were 15,559. Walking is the secret to health."

Sunrise photo taken by Lee Jae-oh, an advisor of the People Power Party, who has been climbing Bongsan in Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul every day since January 1 this year. (Photo by Lee Hyun-joo)

Lee also enjoys hiking, especially taking sunrise photographs. The time and place of sunrise vary slightly by season, and he sometimes sends the photos he took to acquaintances.

One day, he spotted a woodpecker on a large tree and took a picture. Lee said, "Since I always go to the mountains, I become interested in and affectionate toward even a single stone or leaf in the mountains," adding, "The changes in trees?from turning bluish to sprouting leaves, then becoming lush, flowers blooming and falling, and leaves dropping as winter comes?I feel all of this bodily by going every day throughout the four seasons." He added, "Being healthy is not just about looking at the ground while walking, but all these things combined make you healthy. One of the good things about hiking is meditation."

Lee says, "People who find it hard to climb mountains can choose a mountain that suits their physical strength." Even during his time as a sitting member of the National Assembly, he climbed Bongsan every Sunday and took a lap around Sky Park and Sunset Park near Sangam Stadium before going to the National Assembly on weekdays. On Sundays, instead of hiking, he rides a bicycle about 50 km. Lee said, "I have almost no minor illnesses, and COVID-19 passed without me even realizing it."