[One Day Ten Thousand Steps, One Day One Thousand Characters] How Many People Walked Over 100km on Jeju Olle and Santiago?

Jeju Olle started from an idea conceived by Director Seo Myeong-suk, who left her 20-year career as a journalist to walk the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route. Near the end of her pilgrimage walk, she met a woman from the UK, and they promised each other that when they returned to their respective countries, they would create paths like the Camino de Santiago to share the peace and happiness they experienced on the trail with others.

Director Seo returned to her hometown, Jeju Island, and began creating trekking routes loved by global walkers starting in 2007. Initially working alone, numerous volunteers and sponsors later formed the nonprofit organization Jeju Olle, contributing their passion and time to complete 27 courses totaling 437 km. The Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route starts from various routes across Europe and ends at the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain. It stretches approximately 800 km.

Jeju Olle Course 1 [Asia Economy DB]

Jeju Olle, the Galicia region of Spain, and the Santiago Pilgrims Association introduced a joint completion certification system in July last year. This system awards a ‘joint completion certificate’ and a ‘medal’ at the Jeju Olle Travel Center or the Galicia Tourist Information Center to those who walk at least 100 km on both the Jeju Olle Trail and the Camino de Santiago and receive completion certificates from both sides. Jeju Olle is the second trail to establish an exchange agreement with the Camino de Santiago, following Japan’s Kumano Kodo pilgrimage route. In the one year since the system was introduced on September 1 last year, a total of 258 people have received completion certificates and medals in Jeju Island. Among them are walkers of various nationalities including the United States, Canada, Spain, Japan, Italy, Belgium, and Taiwan. Of those who completed the Camino de Santiago, 47% (85 people) also walked the Jeju Olle Trail, while 23% (29 people) walked the Camino de Santiago after completing the Jeju Olle Trail.

Santiago Way marker stone located on Jeju Olle Course 1
Photo by Jeju Olle

On December 6, Lee Myeong-hee from Asan City, Chungnam, who received the joint completion certificate, said, "Walking both trails was my bucket list, and receiving the certificate makes it feel unreal. I have fulfilled my dream." Steven Broom from New Jersey, who received the joint completion certificate on July 2, said, "I started walking after hearing about the joint completion certification system. I am grateful to everyone who made such trails possible."

To commemorate this meaningful agreement, the two countries also installed symbolic monuments representing the friendship between the two trails. In Santiago, Spain, at Monte do Gozo?a key point that pilgrims must pass to reach the Cathedral of Santiago?Jeju’s symbol, the Dol hareubang, and the Olle Trail’s symbol, the Ganse marker, were installed in July last year. In Jeju Island, near Seongsan Ilchulbong on Jeju Olle Course 1, a sculpture related to the scallop shell, the symbol of the Camino de Santiago, was installed in November last year. Jeju Olle plans to hold an unveiling ceremony in September at Jeju Olle Course 1, where the symbol of the Camino de Santiago is located, inviting key figures from the Galicia Santiago pilgrimage route to celebrate the joint completion certification system together.