[AK View]The Person Who Became the Path Where the Road Ends

Seomyung Sook, who created the Jeju Olle Trail, used to live by the motto "If it's more than three steps, take a ride" during her days as a journalist. She would even take a taxi for the short 200-meter distance from the subway station to her office. It was likely because, as deadlines loomed like the Grim Reaper, she couldn't bear to waste time walking. As a pioneering member of the first generation of female political journalists, she became the first woman to serve as both the political editor and editor-in-chief at a weekly current affairs magazine. She reached the top of her field as a reporter, but her body broke down and her heart became as brittle as a dry twig. She was hit by burnout so severe it felt fatal.

In September 2006, she let go of everything and set out on the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage. Walking was difficult, but she walked to survive. On the trail of more than 800 kilometers, she realized something important: people truly encounter themselves when walking. After collapsing from overwork, her time in Santiago got her life moving again. And at the end of that road, she made a resolution: "I will create the most peaceful and beautiful trail in the world back home in Jeju, a trail that saves lives."

After returning to Korea, she established the Jeju Olle Foundation and, in September 2007, opened the first Jeju Olle Trail course connecting the easternmost part of Jeju to Seongsan, a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site. Today, 27 courses and a total of 437 kilometers of Olle Trail have been completed. She did not rely on heavy machinery, but instead, created the trail through human effort, time, and dedication. She found lost paths, reconnected broken trails, and revived those that had disappeared.

The funeral ceremony for Seomyung Sook, Chairman of Jeju Olle who created the Jeju Olle Trail, was held on the 10th at Seobok Park in Seogwipo City, Jeju.
Photo by Yonhap News Agency

The Olle Trail changed tourism culture. Until then, trips to Jeju were centered on package tours focused on "viewpoint" stops, with visitors quickly circling the island by car. However, the Olle Trail revealed the hidden heart of Jeju. It presented the mission: "The more you walk and stay, the more you see Jeju," sparking a trend where people would "live in Jeju for a month." According to the Jeju Research Institute, as of 2025, more than 13 million people have visited the Jeju Olle Trail at least once. Each year, more than 4,500 people complete all 27 courses. The Olle Trail generates an annual production inducement effect of 1.2 trillion won.

The Jeju Olle Trail also sparked a walking craze nationwide. Local governments benchmarked the Olle Trail, creating their own paths. Over 100 trails were established, including the Haeparang Trail along the East Coast, the Gangneung Baugil, the DMZ Peace Trail, and the East-West Trail, connecting the entire country through a network of "Dulle-gil" or circumferential paths. The Jeju Olle Trail has also been exported abroad. In Japan, the Kyushu Olle and Miyagi Olle were created. In Mongolia, Mongol Olle entered into a formal licensing agreement with Jeju Olle and developed trekking courses. In a sense, Jeju descendants taught the ancient Mongolian adage, "Those who build walls perish, and those who build roads prosper."

More important than the achievements of the Olle Trail as a "trail" is the lesson it imparts as a "way"—offering healing and encouraging people to walk their own unique paths. "Olle" is a Jeju dialect word meaning the alleyway connecting the front of one's house to the world. It signifies that the journey doesn't begin far away, but right at the threshold we step over every day. In her book, "Nolmyeong, Shwimyeong, Georeumyeong, Jeju Olle Trip," Seomyung Sook wrote, "As you walk the Olle Trail, look into the true nature of Jeju. I hope you heal your wounded heart and, even if just for a moment, escape life’s relentless pace."

She, who comforted those suffering from burnout by urging them to "live slowly," departed on the distant "Heavenly Olle Trail" on April 7. It is said that her last words were, "Be happy on the Olle Trail." Poet Jeong Hoseung wrote in "Spring Road," "Even where the road ends, there is a road / Even where the road ends, there are people who become roads." Seomyung Sook was such a person. She dedicated the Olle Trail as "a path for those who are exhausted and weary." Someone who becomes a path for others is truly a happy person.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.