2024-05-24 15:12:54
Seol Kyun-tae (87), chairman of the Sungkyunkwan Advisory Council, has been dwelling in Sudong-myeon, Namyangju-si, Gyeonggi-do for 3 years. That is to climb Chukryeong Mountain close to my home. He began mountaineering in 1974 when he was a public servant on the Ministry of Finance (at the moment the Ministry of Technique and Finance) and mentioned, “After climbing the mountain, I turned bodily and mentally wholesome, and due to that, I’m nonetheless dwelling properly.” He mentioned, “Once I was at my present job, I used to be climbing the mountain twice per week, each Saturday and Sunday, and after leaving my present job, I used to be climbing the mountain a minimum of 5 instances per week on common.”
“My father and mom handed away once they had been of their 50s, so I assumed I is perhaps genetically short-lived. Once I was specializing in my well being, a mountaineering membership was shaped on the Ministry of Finance. So I signed up immediately. On the time, soccer golf equipment had been common, however I wasn’t good at soccer, so I could not take part. “I come from a rural space and have recollections of operating within the mountains, so mountaineering felt acquainted to me.”
Though I primarily hiked across the metropolitan space, together with Bukhansan Mountain, Dobongsan Mountain, Gwanaksan Mountain, and Daemosan Mountain, I additionally regularly went on expedition hikes corresponding to Seoraksan Mountain and Hallasan Mountain. He mentioned, “Once I was at my present job, I hiked a median of 8km over two days on weekends, however lately I stroll 6km per hike. He has walked a complete of 52,000 km within the mountains thus far. “He circled the Earth as soon as (40,000 km) and walked one other 12,000 km.” He based the ‘Malmok Mountaineering Membership’, which climbs the mountain on the final Thursday of each month, and has been main it as its president for 27 years.
“Possibly as a result of I climbed the mountain and breathed within the good air, my physique actually modified. Though I went to the hospital and obtained therapy, the allergic rhinitis that had been inflicting me bother sleeping each evening disappeared after climbing the mountain. Grownup ailments corresponding to hypertension have disappeared, in addition to rhinitis, which makes it look like mosquitoes are flying in entrance of your eyes when there are lots of people.”
Chairman Seol’s secret to good well being is consistency. He by no means missed a mountaineering group, such because the Malmok Mountaineering Membership. I climbed the mountain even when it rained or snowed. His spouse, Son In-ja (56), who remarried eight years in the past, mentioned, “Folks round me say I’m a monster.” Chairman Seol does ‘primary bodily energy coaching’ each morning. He warms up by stretching and does 1000 ‘toe strikes’, aka transferring each legs and putting his massive toes. He additionally does 60 sit-ups. This meticulous administration was behind the truth that I had no main accidents whereas mountaineering for 50 years.
Among the many members who began mountaineering collectively 50 years in the past, Chairman Seol is the one one who remains to be climbing the mountain. He mentioned, “There’s a saying, ‘Even if you’re sluggish, if you’re regular, you’ll win.’ “It’s important to take a long-term view of your well being and do it constantly,” he mentioned. He mentioned, “You have to shield your well being while you’re wholesome. It is simple to interrupt for those who’re assured. Staying wholesome is just not free. “We have to make investments,” he emphasised.
Chairman Seol is evaluated as ‘ageing backwards.’ Even on the age of almost 90, I repeatedly do headstands and three-finger push-ups with my thumb, index, and center finger. He mentioned, “I had a bone density check on the hospital two years in the past, and it got here out to be within the early 50s.”
Chairman Seol and his spouse climb Mt. Chukryeong for greater than two hours day by day. He mentioned, “I’ve traveled everywhere in the metropolitan space, however I’ve by no means seen a spot like Sudong-myeon, Namyangju, with a leisure forest fabricated from pine timber and a gorgeous valley, besides in Gangwon-do. “It’s an excellent place to care for your well being.”
“I really feel higher after I go to the mountains. Bushes, flowers, rocks, water within the valley… . It looks like interacting with nature. Additionally, mountains all the time change. Flowers bloom, inexperienced leaves develop lush, and autumn leaves change shade. Snow-covered mountains are additionally artistic endeavors. “Strolling in such good nature is sure to make you wholesome.”
Chairman Seol was additionally enthusiastic about psychological well being. He created the ‘Monetary Literature Society’ together with his colleagues who labored on the Ministry of Finance and can also be its president. Yearly, we publish ‘Jae-gyeong Literature’, a group of poems, sijo, and essays created by our members. Subject 8 was printed early this 12 months. He writes essays. He studied Chinese language characters once more to forestall his reminiscence from deteriorating, and 4 years in the past, he obtained a stage 1 Chinese language character proficiency certificates from the Korean Language and Literature Affiliation.
Chairman Seol, who labored on the Ministry of Finance for almost 30 years, served as senior vp of Kookmin Card and chairman of the audit committee of IBK Funding & Securities, and remains to be energetic, having been elected as the primary chairman of the advisory group of Sungkyunkwan (37 individuals nationwide) early this 12 months. “Because of the stamina I gained via mountaineering, I can nonetheless drink two bottles of makgeolli,” he mentioned with a vibrant smile, including, “I’ll climb mountains even after I’m 100 years outdated.”
Yang Jong-gu, Deputy Director of Sports activities Division yjongk@donga.com
2024-05-24 15:12:54