In the meantime, I have already visited and explored Jeju Island a few times. And there is still something mysterious about this place for me. Is it because Jeju is a volcanic island? Or is it related to the fact that women have played an important and central role on this island for generations?
Last week I had the pleasure of talking to a woman who has a lot of power. Myung Sook Suh 서 명숙, lives and works in Jeju and is the founder of the Olle Trail and Olle Foundation.
Ms. Suh, what does “Olle” actually mean?
“Olle” is an old Korean word used mainly in the Jeju dialect. It describes a narrow driveway that leads from the main road to the entrance gate of a house. But “Olle” is also said to mean the gateway to the world for the people of Jeju. The Olle Trails are well-organized hiking trails along Jeju’s coast. 425km of trails invite nature lovers to hike on 26 different routes.
This kind of movement fascinated me from the beginning. I could mentally detach myself from work and recharge my batteries. This was the key to my self-discovery and the beginning of the Olle Trail.
Myung sook Suh 서 명숙, Founder of Olle Trail und Olle Foundation
How did you come up with the idea to establish Jeju Olle?
I was born in Jeju and spent my childhood there. Although Jeju is my home, I was never genuinely familiar with the island back then. When I was young, Jeju was too narrow-minded for my linking. I wanted to explore the big, wide world. So, I went to Seoul and studied journalism at Korea University.
It was a tough time as a woman. As one of the first female journalists to research and report on political issues in Korea, my work became ever more demanding and required all my attention. My critical reports on well-known companies and politicians were not popular with all readers. Not surprising that there was sometimes very aggressive feedback. The publishing house I worked for at the period, was taken to court several times. When I received nasty threats, this also put a strain on my health. More and more I had health issues and felt drained and sick.
When I went to see a general practitioner doctor for a check-up, he could not find any illness. I did not give up and went to a larger hospital where I got examined from head to toe. But they couldn’t find anything at the hospital either. During the final conversation with the doctor in charge, he said: “Dear Ms. Suh, for you to feel better again, there are exactly three possibilities in your case. Avoid all stress immediately, reduce your workload or start intensive sporting activities.”
I decided on the last of the three options, the sporting activities. But how was that going to work? I hadn’t done any sporting activities since I was a child. And so it happened that I tried many sports. I bought an expensive fitness subscription, attended aerobics and yoga classes after work, and tried swimming. But none of these sports excited me and I didn’t notice any improvement in my health. I was about to give up when I realized that there was one discipline on my list that I hadn’t tried yet, “running”. It’s a very simple and straightforward sport. You don’t need an expensive subscription, you can run at any time of the day or night, and you feel flexible. And even on the first short tours I ran, I felt very good. This kind of movement fascinated me from the beginning, I could mentally detach myself from work and recharge my batteries. That was the key to my self-discovery and the beginning of the Olle Trail.
In Jeju, we first had to convince the locals of the idea.
Myung sook Suh 서 명숙, Founder of Olle Trail und Olle Foundation
Then Olle was born?
The idea for Olle Trail came to me during an interesting encounter in Spain. At the age of fifty and a “running addict”, I flew to France for one purpose only. I wanted to walk the 800 kilometers of the Way of Saint James. During my walk on the Camino de Santiago, I had many interesting experiences and met nice people. One day, on the 20th day of my project to be precise, I often thought of my old home Jeju. How beautiful this island is. Did 30 years have to pass before I realized how much I missed my old home? I imagined how relaxing a walking trail on Jeju could be. And so, I came up with the idea of the Olle Trail on Jeju.
On the morning of the 32nd day of my “big hike”, I met Henny, an Englishwoman from London. Together we hiked for a few hours and discussed a lot. I told Henny about my idea of a walking trail on Jeju. She smiled and said she had a similar idea for a walking trail in England. She was also convinced that the idea of a walking trail or “deceleration trail” could be a great success, especially in Korea. Henny had already been to Korea twice on business and quickly noticed that Koreans are hardworking and very busy. She also felt that the culture of a “Happy Green Hospital” would be very good for Koreans. It does not always need a modern hospital to make people healthy. And anyway, often good things are so close at hand.
After having lunch together, we parted ways again. Unfortunately, I haven’t heard from Henny since. I wonder if she, too, was able to put her idea of a walking trail in England into practice.
What was the biggest challenge?
To realize this idea, I moved from Seoul to Jeju. At the same time, I was able to convince two friends, also journalists, of my project. They both quit their jobs in Seoul and moved with me into a house in Jeju. We lived and worked there for a good two years without income and dedicated our time to the Olle project. In Jeju, we first had to convince the locals of the idea. This was probably one of the biggest challenges. There was no helpful support from the local authorities at that time.
How did the individual routes and paths come about?
I myself was not the right person to plan the individual trails, because – although I grew up here – I didn’t know my island very well. I received a lot of support from my brother, who is two years younger. He was an adventurer who hiked Jeju so often that he knows every stone, nook and cranny, and together with a few good friends he was a great help in planning the trails. Originally, only three or four trails were planned. But the Olle Trail became so popular and famous after a short time that it has grown into 26 trails.
Which is your favorite trail?
The trail I ran on today (laughs).
What are you planning next, any idea, and do you have dreams?
I have already been able to realize some of my ideas and dreams. I founded the Jeju Olle Trail and started an Olle Festival. In August this year, I am traveling to Spain to inaugurate a new Friendship Trail with the organization of the Camino de Santiago. This is something I would never have dreamed of and is a great honor for me. We are also planning a project to help children and young people who have lost their way to a better life. Since one of my brothers also had to struggle with great difficulties in his youth, this project is particularly close to my heart.
Is there a trail that you still want to walk?
I still have one dream. I grew up in Jeju with three other siblings. My father comes from the northernmost part of North Korea, and my mother is from the southernmost part of South Korea. At home, my parents had a supermarket. My mother always wanted to buy a house in Jeju at that time. My father was against it. He said that after the Korean War the day would come when there would be a united Korea again. Then he wanted to return to North Korea with the whole family and build a house there. Unfortunately, my father could no longer realize this dream. If one day South Korea reunites with North Korea and opens its borders, I will probably be one of the first to walk from the southernmost part of Korea to the northernmost part. That way, at least part of my father’s dream could come true.
