Lee Bum-sik, the disability activist known as the "left-foot doctor," who walked across the Korean Peninsula last year to mark the APEC summit, is embarking on a new challenge — a 155-mile peace walk along the Demilitarized Zone to pray for Korean reunification.
Lee became the first person with a severe disability in the world to summit Hallasan, South Korea's highest peak at 1,950 meters, making him a figure of national inspiration whose story rivals that of the protagonist in the film "My Left Foot."
Left with only his left leg after a serious accident, Lee has refused to yield to despair and has instead carried a message of hope through public campaigns that break down barriers for people with disabilities. This time, he is taking on a 155-mile walk along the DMZ to promote peace on the Korean Peninsula and raise awareness for the disabled.
The Lee Bum-sik DMZ Peace Walk team will hold a send-off ceremony Wednesday at 2 p.m. in front of the Goseong-gun county office in Gangwon Province, launching the "DMZ 155-Mile Peace Walk" under the slogan "From a road of division to a road of peace, from a road of limits to a road of hope."
The walk is part of Lee's "Connecting Paths" hope project. The group will set out from the Unification Observatory in Goseong-gun, Gangwon Province, and trek approximately 510 kilometers through Ganghwa-gun, Incheon, to the Chamseongdan altar on Manisan — a 31-day journey from Wednesday through Aug. 15. The trek will conclude at the Chamseongdan altar with a peace ceremony praying for national harmony and reconciliation.
Since his accident left him with a severe disability, Lee has consistently run public campaigns that break down barriers through action rather than words.
Beyond last fall's cross-country walk ahead of the APEC summit, Lee has completed three other long-distance walks: from Gwanghwamun in Seoul to Gyeongsan in North Gyeongsang Province (460 kilometers) in July 2024; from Mudeungsan in Gwangju to the Gyeongju Expo site (400 kilometers) in July 2025; and from Daegu City Hall to the North Gyeongsang Province office (140 kilometers) this past February. Most recently, in June, he became the first person with a severe disability in the world to reach the Baengnodam crater at the summit of Hallasan on Jeju Island, a feat that moved the nation.
A pre-departure ceremony will be held in front of the Goseong-gun county office from 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, featuring congratulatory remarks from former Assembly members Hwang Hak-su and Hong Seok-jun. The official departure from the Unification Observatory is set for 2 p.m.
A team of 20 members will accompany Lee on the journey, led by team leader Choi Seong-deok and safety coordinator Ryu Ho-cheon.
"This walk — transforming the DMZ, a symbol of division, into a symbol of peace's possibility, and overcoming the physical limits of severe disability through perseverance — will serve as an opportunity to deliver a message of inclusion and hope to our society," Choi said. He asked the public for their support to ensure the expedition concludes safely.
Following the DMZ walk, the group plans to undertake a peace walk from Seoul City Hall to Kaesong in July 2027.
abc@heraldcorp.com
