[One Day 10,000 Steps One Day 1,000 Characters] Health Manbo, Baetsal Zero, No Dam No Ju... What Kind of Events Are These?

As the weather remains perfect for walking, walking events are being held across the country. The Korea Walking Association (President Oh Han-jin) will host a health walking experience at Yangjaecheon on the 28th from 1:30 PM. The event is titled "Health Manbo," meaning "Healthy Gangnam 10,000 steps, you who walk are the main character." The event is jointly organized by the Walking Association, Dr. Oh Han-jin’s Health Promotion Research Institute, and the Correct Walking Research Institute. Along with walking, free physical fitness assessments and exercise prescriptions will be provided, and Jihae Well will measure posture and balance. Jaseng Korean Medicine Hospital will offer acupuncture, taping, health consultations, and herbal medicine advice.

The Korea Sports Promotion Foundation (President Seon Sang-gyu) will hold the 21st Seoul International Walking Festival over two days on May 13 and 14. On the 13th, participants will walk 9 km from the Blue House State Guest House to Yongsan, and on the 14th, they can choose to walk 5 km, 10 km, or 25 km starting from Namsan Hanok Village. Participation is free, and those who complete the course will receive a certificate of completion and souvenirs.

The Korea Walking Association (President Kim In-ho), in collaboration with HDC Resort, is hosting the "2023 Oak Valley Night Walk." Although registration closes on May 1, the first 1,000 spots have already been filled. The event will take place on May 4 at 7 PM and 8 PM in two sessions at the Oak Valley Village Center plaza in Wonju, Gangwon Province. Participants will walk a 5 km route (plaza start → cart trail → Sonata of Light → sculpture park → plaza finish). Participants will receive arm bands, glow-in-the-dark headbands, completion buttons (given upon finishing), and admission to Sonata of Light (worth 20,000 KRW). The Barefoot Walking National Movement Headquarters (President Park Dong-chang) plans to hold the 4th Life-Saving Barefoot Walking Festival and the 3rd National Barefoot Walking Day event on May 20.

Citizens participating in the Oak Valley Night Walk event held last year [Photo by Korea Walking Association]

Local governments are also organizing walking events. Jung-gu, Seoul (Mayor Kim Gil-sung) will hold the "Namsan Flower Path Walking Competition" on the 29th at the National Theater. The walking course starts from the National Theater’s cultural plaza, passes Seokhojeong, turns back at the "Horangi Restaurant" on Mt. Mokmyeok, and returns to the starting point. The route covers a 7 km section of the Namsan northern circular road. Participants will gather at 7:30 AM for warm-up exercises, and the walk will begin at 8 AM, lasting about 1 hour and 30 minutes. MC Jo Young-gu will host the event. Singer Jang Hye-jin, a board member of the Jung-gu Cultural Foundation, will also participate. Counseling on mental health, dementia prevention, metabolic syndrome, and dietary habits will be provided, along with promotions for childbirth and childcare support, waste reduction, educational projects, and job opportunities. Various prizes such as kimchi refrigerators, washing machines, and bicycles will be awarded through a raffle using tickets distributed at the turnaround point.

Kim Gil-seong, Mayor of Jung-gu (center front row), is participating in a tree-planting event with students from Namsan Elementary School on March 22.
[Photo by Jung-gu Office]

Asan City (Mayor Park Kyung-gwi) will hold the Baekui Jonggun-gil National Walking Festival (428 Sunshin Road Walking Tour) on the 29th at 8:30 AM to coincide with the Seongung Yi Sun-sin Festival. The course options include the Loyalty Road Course (Dunpo Unseon Bridge to Hyeonchungsa, 6 hours, 22.9 km), Filial Piety Road Course (Inju Gebawi to Hyeonchungsa, 4 hours, 15 km), and Patriotism Road Course (Baebang Neopti Hill to Hyeonchungsa, 4 hours, 13 km). Already, 3,000 participants have registered. The "Baekui Jonggun-gil" refers to the route taken by Admiral Yi Sun-sin after being dismissed from his post as Commander of the Three Provinces Navy for disobeying King Seonjo’s order to go to war during the 1597 Jeongyu War. He was ordered to serve as a common soldier under General Kwon Yul and traveled about 640 km from the Uigeumbu in Hanyang through Asan to the General’s camp in Hapcheon, Gyeongnam. Asan City has restored the route into three sections based on the 14 nights and 15 days Admiral Yi Sun-sin stayed in Asan.

Yanggu County, Gangwon Province (County Head Seo Heung-won) will hold the 2023 Youth Yanggu Belly Fat Zero (Zero) Health Walking Festival on the 29th. About 1,500 individuals and families are expected to participate. The walking course starts from the National Sports Center parking lot, passes the Sports Hero Monument, Yongmeori Park, Hanbando Bridge, and ends at Hanbando Island, covering a total of 5.9 km.

Asan Mayor Park Kyung-gwi (center) is conducting a preliminary inspection of the Baekuijonggun-gil Walking Festival course (428 Sunsin Road) on April 24. [Photo by Asan City Hall]

The Okcheon branch of the National Health Insurance Service (Branch Manager Yoon Gap-jin) will hold a non-face-to-face health walking competition titled "No Dam (No Tobacco)! No Ju (No Alcohol)! Health Walking Challenge" from May 1 to May 31 to promote prevention of alcohol-related harm and encourage smoking cessation and moderation in drinking during Family Month in May. To qualify, participants must achieve 100,000 steps during the participation period (7,000 steps per day recognized) and submit a pledge for smoking cessation and alcohol harm prevention on the bulletin board. After meeting the goal, 200 Okcheon residents who enter the event will be randomly selected to receive a 10,000 KRW mobile cultural gift certificate as a prize.