The author, a master of slow, long walks, wrote an introductory article on the Korea Trail.
To date, 41 people have completed the Korea Trail and been inducted into the "Hall of Fame." This is the first book among those who completed the trail. For a long-distance walking tour to be successful, it must involve a network of like-minded individuals, unique accommodations, and small art galleries, all intertwined with a compelling story.
If you're wondering whether you're going at your own pace in an age where speed is emphasized, if you're curious about stories on the road, if you want to savor the blessings of walking on two feet, there are plenty of stories to explore.

The Korea Trail is a trekking path that connects the east, west, south, and north edges of South Korea.
The starting point is Oryukdo Island in Busan, and if you connect the Land's End Tower in Haenam, Jeollanam-do, the Peace Observatory in Ganghwa, Incheon, and the Unification Observatory in Goseong, Gangwon-do, a mouth shape is drawn.
Following the opening of the East Coast Haeparang Trail in 2016, the South Coast Namparang Trail, the West Coast Seohaerang Trail, and the DMZ Peace Trail in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in September 2024, the world's longest trekking section of 4,520 km will be completed.

This means that we now have long-distance trekking trails like Spain's Camino de Santiago, the United States' John Muir Trail (JMT), the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), New Zealand's Milford Track, Nepal's ABC Trek, EBC Trek, Annapurna Circuit, and Peru's Inca Trail. The walking culture has been spreading in Korea since the late 2000s.
As of 2021, there are approximately 600 walking trails, totaling 20,000 km, in Korea. Let's embark on the Korea Dulle-gil Cultural Trail, guided by the author, a domestic and international trekking trail expert and forest interpreter.

Yeah, this is the rhythm.
Slowly move forward at a 'human pace', breathing in time with the rhythm.
This is my own pace.
I try to walk slower than a turtle if possible.
I walk slowly with the rhythm of a snail riding the sunlight after the rain.
I believe that walking slowly is the way to worship and walk on the earth that God created.
--- p.25, from "Yes, this is the rhythm"

A true hiker doesn't talk about how much they walked in a day, how much more they have to walk, or whether they received a certificate of completion.
They talk about the people and scenery they meet on the road.
We talk about the flowers, the grass, the trees, the buddleia we saw there, and the hummingbird moths we thought were hummingbirds.

--- p.49, from “The sunset falls beautifully on the reed riverbank”

My 'slowness' is not the exact opposite of 'fastness'.
Rather, it can be said to be the opposite concept of ‘impatience.’
One of the illusions we have is the belief that 'speed buys time'.
But if you rush and rush, time will pass more quickly.
If you walk slowly, time will pass.
That's why people who walk slowly live longer.

--- p.61, from “Walking with the Wind and Listening to the Wind’s Song”

As we entered the village, the rain stopped as if it had never rained.
I'm very confused because of the weather that goes back and forth between cold and hot water.
Not only has the rain stopped, but the bright sunlight begins to beat down.
Camels walking through the Taklamakan Desert turn their faces toward the sun when there is no shade to rest.
On the other hand, ostriches bury their faces in the ground when in danger.
Am I a camel person or an ostrich person?
--- p.187, from “What Song Do Raindrops Sing on the Hillside?”

'Whirl, swoosh, roll, roll, yum yum~!!' This is a new word I made up to describe the four ways plants move their seeds.
Different plants have different ways of sending their seeds far away.
The first one is 'whoosh whoosh'.
Asteraceae plants, such as thistles, dandelions, and chrysanthemums, primarily use the wind to disperse their seeds.
The calyx is modified to have feathers or hairs attached to the seeds so that they can be easily carried by the wind.

--- p.232, from "On the way to the Dam of Peace, 'Flutter, flutter, roll, roll, yum yum~!"

'Coming to know' may be influenced by human speculation and assertion, but 'figuring out' is accepting what nature tells us.
This is a great lesson to learn from spiders and their webs.
Don't blindly assume common sense and impose it on others.
Let's not force common sense on others. That's why sometimes we need the humility to reserve our opinions.
Mencius said, "The heart of resignation is the beginning of propriety."
It means, 'Humble yielding attitude is the basis of courtesy.'
--- From "Where is the poison in the bloody tree?"

The flesh of the blueberry fruit is digested in the bird's stomach, and the hard seed coat becomes soft due to stomach acid.
When the birds fly away and excrete the seeds they have digested, the dogwood tree finally begins to spread its offspring.
Trees that cannot move on their own have developed a survival strategy of sending their offspring far away with the help of birds.
In this way, the worlds in the forest are interconnected and coexist with each other, forming special relationships.

--- p.260, from “Autumn Scenery Interpreted Through Poetry”

There's nothing quite like taking a leisurely walk to engage your senses on the road.
Since the Industrial Revolution, rapid technological innovation has made humans obsessed with speed.
Even without explaining, the side effects are proportional to the increased convenience due to speed.
I believe that 'walking with your body' is the only way to solve these problems.

--- p.350, from "Epilogue"