Gyeonggi Province plans to secure 1,000 "Gyeonggi Soil Scent Barefoot Trails" by 2026 and will create 403 locations in the first half of this year.
On the 27th, Gyeonggi Province held an on-site discussion at Pungsan Neighborhood Park No. 3 Barefoot Trail and Narul Library in Hanam City, sharing the "Gyeonggi Soil Scent Barefoot Trail Guidelines" containing these details.
Earlier, Governor Kim Dong-yeon of Gyeonggi Province declared at the "Gyeonggi Soil Scent Barefoot Trail Creation Proclamation Ceremony" last November that at least one barefoot trail would be created in each of the 603 eup, myeon, and dong districts, aiming to build 1,000 barefoot trails for the health of residents.
Accordingly, in the first half of this year, the first year of the project, Gyeonggi Province will create a total of 403 barefoot trails: 377 dry-type trails (yellow soil mixed mainly with masato), 3 wet-type trails (masato mixed mainly with yellow soil), 14 sand trails, and 9 yellow soil foot baths (yellow soil-based with foot bath effects).
The project budget is 36.914 billion KRW, with 70% funded by the provincial government and 30% by city and county governments.
The project sites will be selected through demand surveys by cities and counties and consultations between the province and local governments.
Gyeonggi Province held the "Soil Scent Barefoot Path Creation Event" on the 27th at Pungsan Neighborhood Park No. 3 Barefoot Path and Narul Library in Hanam City. Photo by Gyeonggi Province
Gyeonggi Province plans to achieve the target of 1,000 locations through the existing 108 sites, 403 sites created in the first half of this year, and 489 sites planned for next year.
Additionally, the guidelines include standards for design, construction, and safety management, Gyeonggi Province’s policy directions, cooperation systems between cities and counties, accident prevention, facility maintenance, and handling of civil complaints.
Lee Jeong-su, Director of the Garden Industry Division of Gyeonggi Province, said, "We prepared these guidelines to spread a culture where residents can walk barefoot safely and healthily," adding, "We will actively reflect the vivid voices of cities and counties collected during the on-site discussion to promote the barefoot trail creation project more solidly."
Meanwhile, on the same day, Gyeonggi Province held an on-site discussion with officials from 31 cities and counties in line with the preparation of these guidelines. Through barefoot walking effect education, guideline explanations, and case presentations, they shared success stories and difficulties, and checked the actual site conditions by experiencing the barefoot trails.
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