[Harumanbo Harucheonja] "The Driving Force Behind a Busy Lawyer's Life Is Travel and Reading"

Former Chief Judge Lawyer Jo Yongju
"Creating a Pilgrimage Path School to Walk with People"
"Starting This Year, Forming Seocho Reading Club Composed of Legal Professionals"

Attorney Jo Yong-joo (Law Firm Anda), a former chief judge, leads a busy life handling multiple cases while practicing both walking and reading. His Facebook and blog frequently feature book reviews, currently numbering between 800 and 900, along with so-called ‘proof shots’ of walks on paths such as the Seonbi-gil in Andong, Gyeongbuk, and the Ganghwa Nadeul-gil on Ganghwa Island, Incheon. Attorney Jo is so busy that he commutes between Incheon and Seoul on weekdays. He works at a law firm located in Hakik-dong, Michuhol-gu, Incheon in the morning and returns to Seocho-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul in the afternoon.

In his Seocho-dong law office, a plaque inscribed with ‘讀萬行萬 (Read Ten Thousand, Walk Ten Thousand)’ has been hanging for two years. In short, it means ‘read a lot and travel a lot.’ Broadening one’s horizons and frequently walking while meditating helps endure the hardships of daily life. Walking and reading also harmonize well. Attorney Jo said, “Before traveling, I always read books related to the area. Knowing the cultural and historical background in advance makes the trip ten times more enjoyable.”

Jo Yong-ju, Chief Attorney at Anda Law Firm. Photo by Huh Young-han younghan@

Looking back, last year was particularly busy for Attorney Jo. He has been advocating for the establishment of the Incheon High Court. There are about 13,300 manufacturing companies located in Incheon, yet there is no high court in the city. Attorney Jo believes that establishing a high court would resolve such issues and has been meeting with local politicians. He anonymously donated over 150 bags of rice every month to senior welfare centers in Seoul through a rice donation group. As the secretary-general of ‘People Making Good Laws,’ a group of 240 lawyers, he organized four seminars and issued several statements. For his contributions to the local community, Attorney Jo was recognized as an outstanding lawyer by the Korean Bar Association last year. “Could the driving force that helped me overcome a busy daily life have been traveling across the country and reading enough to post book reviews twice a week?”

In 2019, he founded the so-called ‘Walking School,’ known as the Pilgrimage Path School. The term ‘pilgrimage’ carries religious connotations of walking to places of religious origin for worship. However, the school was created with the intention of developing good walking paths within Korea without going abroad. The school’s name is interesting: in English, it is called the ‘School of Sullae.’ People who walk on the pilgrimage paths are called ‘Sullae.’

Last year, the Pilgrimage Path School walked the ‘Gomusin Road’ in Incheon. The course is about 4.5 km long, starting from the north plaza of Dongincheon Station, passing through the Sudogoksan Dal-dongne Museum, Baedari, Ssariae, Dapdong Cathedral, and Freedom Park. This year, he traveled for three days and two nights along the Sambyeolcho Street in Jindo, Jeonnam. Attorney Jo said, “Sambyeolcho Street is a great place not only for walking but also for traveling by car, KTX, and ferry, as there are many good attractions.” On the 2nd, he walked from Yangpyeong Station, passing Galsan Park, to Yongmun Station.

Attorney Jo Yong-ju, CEO of Law Firm Anda, is talking about the phrase "Dokmanhaengman" (an abbreviation of "Reading ten thousand books and practicing ten thousand principles") hanging on the wall at his office in Seocho-dong, Seoul. Photo by Heo Young-han younghan@

So far, he has created three paths called the ‘Path of Peace,’ the ‘Path of Hope,’ and the ‘Path of Enlightenment.’ Each is about a two-week walking distance from home. Attorney Jo said, “My dream is to pioneer these three paths and make the courses world-famous attractions. I believe that as people walk these paths and contemplate the meaning of life, and enjoy local specialty Makgeolli along the way, it will also help revitalize the regions.”

After encountering the British walking group Ramblers (see related article), which was also introduced in ‘One Day Ten Thousand Steps, One Day One Thousand Characters,’ Attorney Jo found a future vision for the Pilgrimage Path School. He said, “Large apartment complexes in Korea are fenced off, preventing people from passing through to the other side. This must be improved. In Incheon, many citizens are trapped by factories and ports, unable to access the sea. These areas need to be fixed so that anyone can reach the seaside.” He added, “I hope the Pilgrimage Path School will become an organization that strives to secure walking rights for our people. We must make good paths around us accessible, comfortable, easy, and free for everyone. The government should take the lead in this, and demanding this is the role of the Pilgrimage Path School. We will continue efforts to secure walking rights.”

On the 2nd, Lawyer Jo Yong-ju and the Pilgrimage School held a walking event at Yangpyeong Cherry Blossom Sipri-gil.
[Photo by Lawyer Jo Yong-ju]

Attorney Jo’s favorite path is the Dalma-godo in Haenam, Jeonnam, also known as the Land’s End Village. It is an 18 km rocky mountain path behind Mihwangsa Temple. It is famous for the Dinosaur Ridge, which, although risky if one missteps, offers the thrill of walking and even crawling, attracting many visitors. From the mountain summit, there is a panoramic view of the city. “Nowadays, there are many artificially made paths by local governments, but Dalma-godo feels environmentally friendly, perhaps because it was created by the head monk of Mihwangsa Temple. I plan to visit again this year to enjoy my life as a lawyer even more.”

Starting this year, Attorney Jo has been running the ‘Seocho Reading Club,’ composed of legal professionals, every second Friday of the month. They read one book that provides information on society, culture, and economy. Currently, there are about 30 members. The goal is to continue the club for over ten years. “We plan to invite book authors to give lectures at the reading club every three to four months. After reading, we also plan to have members experience walking the paths together.”