QPlease describe the hiking experience for us.

The process of hiking mountains is an encapsulation of life itself. Perhaps that¡¯s precisely what draws me to the experience — to the point wherein every living cell, the entirety of my being, craves the particular activity of climbing mountains. It¡¯s also the reason I tell novice, rookie or even prospective hikers — those deciding on whether or not it¡¯s worth a try, or to take it up as a hobby — to make a habit of climbing even itty bitty hills, which you can find nearly anywhere in Korea.

QWhat about the process do you most enjoy?

Continuing my allusion to human life: because I feel that it¡¯s a scaled-down version of life. It in turn amplifies everything, including the most trivial and fleeting of moments. I love how one moment, my muscle pains bother me persistently then the next moment, I couldn¡¯t feel prouder of myself, for persevering and enduring that moment of struggle. Likewise, I feel a heightened sense of appreciation for a single bite into a juicy apple when snacking atop a crest. Till then, that apple in my bag was undoubtedly a literal, physical burden. It — the same apple — can also feel like a chore, or a mundane factor in life, when we¡¯re simply sitting at home to have a bite. Imagine approaching all these moments in such dramatized form — in such extreme magnitude! Such a joyous way to savor life and its juiciest bits.
Imagine approaching all these moments in such dramatized form — in such extreme magnitude! Such a joyous way to savor life and its juiciest bits.

QHow has nature affected you?

When I describe this, I hope that none of our readers imagine this to pertain only to myself. On the contrary, this is a universal effect nature has on humanity. Its vastness, grandiosity, the simply wondrous and spectacular being is in itself a consolation, a metaphysical source of energy. One way I tap into this power of nature is by waking up at the break of dawn to catch the sunrise.
(She points and refers to the sight that unfolds from where we¡¯re situated.) When the sun rises over the aquatic horizon here, then starts to glisten against the pure, tranquil surface of the lake¡¦ imagine the innumerable emotions. Every time I take in the horizon at the precise moment of sunrise, it takes on yet another appearance, imparting a mood yet unexperienced. Seeing its varied, though consistently honest versions — on days cloudy, foggy, misty, sunny or any combination thereof — my problems seem to shrink, my daily woes fade away and are replaced by sheer gratitude for my existence, plus overwhelming relief. What a powerful effect nature has on us! I will never cease to cherish it.

QWhat drew you to your current occupation?

For every year succeeding 2011, Aug. 29th is the most special, self-celebratory anniversary for me. I call it my ¡°tree-day¡± and treat it as if it¡¯s a birthday, announcing to everyone around me — none of whom even care! It doesn¡¯t matter, because it has so, so much significance to me.
On that day in 2011, I was mesmerized by a tree of the willowy kind, laden with red-tinted bark. Ever since, trees took my heart and I dove into their charms without looking anywhere else.
Being surrounded by trees on all sides makes me joyous in the most genuine sense of the expression. Seeing the smallest changes affect these flora awes me, at whichever season, moment or growth stage I catch them in. Then I¡¯m affected by the most minor developments they regularly undergo because of the huge amounts of attention I pay them instinctively. I can¡¯t help being so attracted to these blessings of nature!

QWhat made you move to this part of the country?

As fate had it, my wife and I visited these slopes of Jirisan on our very first trip together. That said, I was fed up with the urban dayto-days of living in Seoul. The unbearably routine, literally ¡°boxedin¡± — as apartments are densely compartmentalized into countless residencies — lifestyle of urban living was dreary, to say the least.
There were two decisive moments that awoke me to that realization. One is when my wife asked me what I plan to do after retirement. I was taken aback when I realized I had never imagined myself doing anything outside of my monotonous day job. The best I could come up with was¡¦ a security guard, perhaps? That was a shocking revelation, how much I simply lacked vivacity, energy and any urge whatsoever to will myself into action.
Another case-in-point are the terrible prospects I imagined for my son. He was around ten years old at the time when I realized he¡¯d been and may very well continue growing up amid concrete surfaces instead of soil. Imagining that made me recoil.

QWhat¡¯s your favorite and least favorite type of tree?

Oh, you know I¡¯m going to say I have too many favorites, that all of these within our sight are absolutely wonderful. In fact, let me narrow it down to ¡°trees that belong to the land on which they stand.¡± I find particular beauty in indigenous trees that are well-rooted where they always have been, and should be as they are naturally acclimatized to the locations. Can I just put it out there that I am most enamored by the most Korean, the most genuinely ¡°our trees¡± stemming [not only physically, but through its predecessors]from our lands?
On the other hand, there are trees that I sort of pity and even plants that I give permission for my tour guests to snap and take home. The first type are those that have rooted themselves on foreign land to which they are inherently alien. And the latter are cases like these springy bursts — see here — of little pine trees? Contrary to how ideal this sunlit gravesite is and how they¡¯ve nested well on such a warm spot, they are simply fated to be crushed soon — of course, by workers who have been paid to upkeep the spot. I dub them ¡°neglected beings.¡± It¡¯s not only pets or children that are neglected; it happens to plants like these, too.