Mokpo City Develops 1km Barefoot Trail at Chodangsan

Creating a Pleasant and Safe Hiking Environment in the New Urban Area

About 250 Citizens Experience Walking Barefoot on Pine Tree and Hwangto Soil Path

Mokpo City in Jeollanam-do is accelerating the creation of a green city through a premium forest by establishing a bare-foot path made of loess soil on Chodangsan in Bujudong.

According to the city on the 3rd, a 1 km barefoot trail was created on Chodangsan, the heart of Okam New Town, to promote citizens' health. This is the second barefoot path after Yang-eulsan’s “Barefoot Youth Path.”

(On the right) Park Hong-ryul, Mayor of Mokpo, and citizens are walking barefoot on Chodangsan, located in the new downtown area of Okam-dong, sharing a time of health and healing.
[Photo by Mokpo City]

Chodangsan is located in a representative apartment-dense area of the new town, and the city expects that the creation of this barefoot path will provide convenience facilities to nearby citizens and offer a pleasant and safe hiking environment.

The city installed foot washing stations, drinking fountains, dust brushes, shoe lockers, and rest benches on Chodangsan to enhance convenience, and attached emotional phrases encouraging daily life along the forest trail.

Additionally, purple Liriope flowers and king cherry trees were planted on the slopes of the Chodangsan barefoot path to add seasonal colors to the otherwise monotonous forest trail.

On the 2nd, the city successfully held the “Five Senses Satisfying Barefoot Walking Event,” which rejuvenates body and mind, and officially opened the barefoot path.

Before the official opening, the path was temporarily opened in mid-last month, and it has become a beautiful barefoot forest trail visited by about 200 people daily, attracting even nearby Namak residents from early morning.

Accordingly, the city recently evaluated it as the hottest health healing course.

A city official stated, “Chodangsan is located in the middle of the city, close to kindergartens, elementary schools, and residential complexes, making it easily accessible. We developed it to allow people to safely enjoy the charm of the forest trail.”

A child from Yeongsan Elementary School who participated in the event said, “Walking barefoot on the dirt path with my friends felt soft and made me feel very good.”

Meanwhile, barefoot walking is known to help boost immunity, memory, dementia prevention, and blood circulation through reflexology and earthing effects, while reducing active oxygen, stress, and insomnia.

The city plans to expand healthy barefoot paths by creating a 1 km path along the Okam waterfront embankment, a 1.2 km Yang-eulsan cypress scent trail, a 1.5 km Sanjeongsan slow trail, a 1.5 km Daeyang industrial complex healing trail, and a barrier-free path on Daesamhakdo.

Mayor Park Hong-ryul said, “This five senses satisfying barefoot walking event is a wellness event where people can enjoy nature and gain rest and healing. We will do our best to make Mokpo a healthy city by energizing citizens’ lives through barefoot walking.”