"15 Hearing and Visually Impaired Individuals Trek to Baekdusan Cheonji"…Fully Sponsored by Seo-gu Honors

Trekking Team Embarks on a 4-Day, 3-Night Journey

38.5 Million Won in Travel Expenses Sponsored

Sharing Cultural and Travel Experiences with Neighbors in Need

The Seo-gu Honors, a high-value donor group from Seo-gu District of Jeonnam Gwangju Integrated Special City, has embarked on a special journey to Baekdusan Cheonji together with hearing and visually impaired individuals.

On the morning of the 29th, the Seo-gu District announced that a team of 28 people—comprising 15 hearing and visually impaired individuals, sign language interpreters, activity support personnel, and Seo-gu Honors members—set out for the "Baekdusan Cheonji Trekking" on a 4-day, 3-night trip.

On the morning of the 29th, Seo-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City in Jeonnam announced that a team of 28 members, including 15 hearing and visually impaired individuals, sign language interpreters, activity support personnel, and Seo-gu Honors members, set off on a trip titled 'Baekdusan Cheonji Trekking.' Provided by Seo-gu, Gwangju, Jeonnam

The trekking team plans to visit the west and north slopes of Baekdusan and the Yanji area. The entire travel cost of 38.5 million won was fully sponsored by Seo-gu Honors members. This trip was arranged with the belief that disabilities should not limit travel, and that everyone should have the opportunity to experience new worlds.

For those with hearing and visual impairments, long-distance and overseas travel require careful support throughout the entire trip—not only for transportation, but also for accessing information, communication, and participating in local activities. As such, it is often difficult for individuals to undertake such journeys on their own.

To address this, Seo-gu District and Seo-gu Honors became travel companions. Sign language interpreters and support personnel will accompany the group throughout the itinerary, assisting with travel and communication tailored to participants' needs. Seo-gu District explained that, while everyone may see, hear, and sense the world differently, they plan to walk the same path and create shared memories in the same space, fostering an experience where disability does not become a boundary to travel.

Previously, on September 17, Seo-gu District held a pre-trip meeting at the Gwangju Unification Hall, where participants and Seo-gu Honors members shared the travel schedule and safety guidelines. They also reviewed the specific needs of participants based on their disabilities and prepared necessary support in advance.

Seo-gu Honors has previously supported various initiatives, including the "Concert While Lying Down" program for people with severe disabilities to enjoy cultural performances, the "Maternal Home Visit Project" for multicultural families, and the "Peace Dream Train" connecting generations of national merit recipients, veterans' families, and youth.

This trip to Baekdusan is also being promoted not merely as material support, but as part of a giving initiative that provides "opportunities for experience" to neighbors who might otherwise have little access to culture or travel.

Members of Seo-gu Honors said, "This will be a meaningful trip, as we become each other's eyes and ears and experience Baekdusan together. We hope that those who usually find it difficult to travel will encounter a new world, and that we can create new experiences and memories together."

Seo-gu District head Lee Ikang stated, "Travel should be an experience open to everyone—an everyday opportunity to encounter new worlds. I hope this journey to Baekdusan Cheonji will give hearing and visually impaired participants the confidence that 'I can do it too' and become a new starting point toward a broader world."

Meanwhile, Seo-gu Honors is a high-value donor group launched in November 2024 together with the Gwangju Community Chest of Korea.

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