[Harumanbo Harucheonja] "After battling a serious illness, walking barefoot daily... strengthening the will to live"

On the afternoon of the 20th, from 2 to 5 PM, about 500 people gathered from all over the country were seen walking barefoot simultaneously along a 10 km equestrian road in Jangsu-gun, Jeonbuk. This was because the Barefoot Walking National Movement Headquarters and Jangsu-gun jointly hosted the 4th ‘Life-Saving Barefoot Walking Festival.’ At the barefoot walking event that day, after comfortably walking barefoot along the equestrian road, participants shared stories under the theme “Singing the Dream of Healing and Longevity Barefoot on the Equestrian Road Amidst the Scenic Beauty of Jangsu-gun.” Here, members shared their experiences of living new lives after barefoot walking.

Mr. Bae Gyeong-guk, who lives in Daegu, came on stage that day to share his experience of suddenly collapsing at home due to a headache on July 21, 2021, and being taken to the hospital. Due to an emergency surgery that exposed the top of his head for nearly seven hours, Mr. Bae still has a surgical scar on his head. To determine the exact diagnosis, he underwent a biopsy, and it was only around mid-August that he was finally diagnosed with glioblastoma. This is a type of malignant tumor that occurs in neuroglial cells, which are abundant in brain tissue, and unfortunately, there is still no clear treatment for this disease.

Mr. Bae said, “I was determined to find a way to survive and met Park Dong-chang, president of the Barefoot Walking National Movement Headquarters,” adding, “After surgery, I walked barefoot for 3 to 5 hours daily at Daegu Arboretum without missing a single day, and for the past two years, I have lived a healthy life without any recurrence.” He also added, “At the same time, my spinal stenosis, allergic chronic rhinitis that I had for 22 years, and toenail fungus that had lasted 30 years are all healing.”

Ms. Kim Hyun-sook, who lives in Seoul, also said that she overcame the aftereffects of acute myocardial infarction through barefoot walking and is now living a healthy and vigorous life.

Choi Hoon-sik, the mayor of Jangsu-gun who attended the barefoot walking event, emphasized, “We will create a healthy city where people from all over the country who pursue a healthy life can come to Jangsu-gun to walk barefoot and relax by developing an 8-meter-wide, 10 km-long well-maintained equestrian road and barefoot paths in the surrounding villages.” Governor Kim Gwan-young of Jeollabuk-do also promised, “We will support the creation of a barefoot walking healthy city in Jangsu-gun.” Jang Jeong-bok, chairman of the Jangsu-gun Council, also stated that the council will not only support the barefoot path projects promoted by Jangsu-gun but will also maintain continuous interest by enacting the ‘Barefoot Walking Activation Ordinance.’

President Park Dong-chang emphasized, “Taking this barefoot festival co-hosted with Jangsu-gun on the Jangsu-gun equestrian road as an opportunity, we will launch a new national movement to promote healthy living through barefoot walking jointly with local governments across the country.” At the same time, the barefoot walking event held every third Saturday of the month around Daemosan in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, will be conducted simultaneously in multiple regions through more than 30 branches nationwide,spreading the barefoot walking movement across the country.