TEDxDaejeon City2.0 - Wung-rae Cho - Creating Shared Value in Mt. 'Gyejok 14.5km'

This is mountain Gye-Jok style.
As you see, I'm talking about health selling alcohol(so-ju) as a buisiness man.
You think I'm quiet shameless, don't you?
You think I'm quiet shameless, don't you?
Now I'm going to introduce Walking down the Red-Clay Road on Bare Foot in Gye-Jok mountain.
Mountain Gye-Jok is located in Daejoen.
Our company paved a 13km road with red clay halfway up the mountain.
We allowed people to walk with pleasant feeling.
You can see a dam Dae-Cheong in the east and Daejeon in the west walking along the red clay road.
And there is a mountain fortress on the top.
It was built in 6th century,Beak-Jae.
So, there are a lot of stories related to this fortress.
Now I'm going to share my story of why I laid red clay on the road and held a festival 14 00:0 --> 00:01:05,993 in Mountain Gye-Jok.
I visited this mountain with my friends in 2006.
One of my friends was wearing high heels.
I took off my sneakers and I walked along the road only on my socks.
It is usually uncomfortable and stuffy when we walk wearing sneakers.
I hiked about three and four hours on socks
so I hurt sole of my feet and legs.
so I hurt sole of my feet and legs.
But I felt really great and my brain became very fresh.
On that day, I felt really tired and my body was flushed but
I had a very comfortable night.
It took 2~3 days to return to my normal body cycle.
After that, I once ran along the road on my socks not sneakers.
I really enjoy running a marathon. I finished a full marathon for 40 times.
And for now, I adopted 10km marathon for the job recruitment.
I also give twenty thousand won of extra payment for the employees who run a 2km marathon.
My future son-in-law also has to finish 20km marathon.
The reason why I encourage individuals,families,and companies to run a marathon is
that marathon is very honest exercise.
We can think about the importance of the earth and protect our health.
I feel really great after running or walking along the red clay road.
My brain feels really fresh and I 've got better ability of digestion.
My skins became brilliant and I don't have upset stomache anymore.
so I wanted other people to enjoy those nice changes in person.
Why don't you take off your shoes?
Do you worry about getting hurt a sole of your feet?
Or, do you concern other people?
Actually, only insane people walked on barefoot in the past.
I suggested the idea of holding a barefoot festival to employees
but the reaction was not that great at that time.
Some argued who do walk along this kind of rough road.
Others said that why do we have to lay red clay that will be carried off by rain.
But, now everyone loves this hiking.
I felt with my heart whether I wear socks or not.
Other people just continue finding the reasons why the festival is not acceptable. 49 00:03:10,804 --> 00:0 Please keep in mind that our brain cannot defeat our heart.
Finally the red clay road was made and we hold the festivals regularly.
Then, why do we use red-clay ?
First, red-clay is very soft.
When we take off our shoes,
the texture of ground is very important.
Second, the color of red-clay.
Recently, the color and the texture has become very important for people.
Red color makes us feel warm and passionate.
This clay also harmonizes well with other surroundings
such as the light, forest, and fallen leaves.
We have to spray water regularly in order to sustain the texture and moisture.
There is a huge difference before and after watering the red-clay.
If you add some So-ju in it, the color becomes even more reddish. 63 00:04:17,309 --> 00:04:19,786 If you add some So-ju in it, the color becomes even more reddish.
So this road offers same condition.
We bring the soil from other region, Gim-Jae.
The soil from there feels very soft and has great color.
With new soil, we resurface three or four times per year. 68 00:04:36,940 --> 00:04:40,475 With new soil, we resurface three or four times per year.
After the soil is done, there has to be someone who walks and runs there!
That is today's bare-foot festival.
People can breathe phytoncide in the forest and
be able to be gotten acupressure walking on bare-foot.
There are also a lot of performances along the 14.5 kilometers road.
People feel really great from this kind of small concert.
After running a hard course, people usually get exhausted
but their face looks really happy and bright.
So we called the barefoot festival 'eco-healing.'
People walk on barefoot in the forest and
after getting done their walking, they also enjoy cultural activities like concert.
People must have been really happy doing all those activites.
We now can call our festival Eco-Healing, right?
We also registererd our trademark to protect our exclusive right to arrange our festival.
There are a man, fish, and a bird in our mark
and it symbolizes the warm treat for our Earth,
This also became our company's philosophy.
Anyone in the world can have this kind of great feeling
in the forest.
Now, I'll show you some materials about our Eco-Healing festival
and please take a look at this carefully.

This video was on APP correspondance in 2008.
This means that our festival became very popular in and out of our country.
So those who evaluate our festival became both our citizens and foreigners
regardless of nationality and social class.
Now our festival became one with delightful joy experience.
So, more and more people come to our festival every year.
It is also very helpful for Daejeon in terms of doing strategic marketing
and became one of the landmark in Daejeon. 99 00:08:11,046 --> 00:08:12,769 and became one of the landmark in Daejeon.
Ulike other one-time festivals,
there is neither the entrance fee for walking nor the entry fee for the festival. 102 00:08:17,032 --> 00:08:21,422 there is neither the entrance fee for walking nor the entry fee for the festival.
Many people visit from the city and enjoy red-clay walking.
We then thought it is not enough for them to let them go back to the city
after doing simple walking. So we've hold a concert since 2007.
after doing simple walking. So we've hold a concert since 2007.
after doing simple walking. So we've hold a concert since 2007.
Our festival is also introduced as the experiencing trip
not only through the Korea Tourist Service.Inc
but the foreign travel agencies as a MICE.(Meeting,Incentive,Convention,Exhibition)
Then, why people became enthusiastic for our festival?
Some say that foot is our second heart of a body.
I felt really comfortable on barefoot when I was waiting for my turn behind the stage.
This might be a reason for getting a massage or acupressure therapy.
Our foot are connected with every organ of bodies
so it is very healthy to walk on barefoot.
I'll introduce some examples about the good effect of getting acupressure on foot from "The Secret of Life" on KBS.

There are a lot of undergoing academic research and
professional thesis for the foot therapy.
Walking on barefoot rather than on shoes
is more comfortable. I did in person and it is 100% true.
It also decrease the shock for our foot. 124 00:10:35,874 --> 00:10:38,744 It also decrease the shock for our foot.
These photos shows you the ordinary days in Gye-Jok.
From children under 8 to old people over 90 come to visit
our mountain with their family and Gye-Jok mountain is becoming the place for healing our bodies and mind
and communicating each other.
We also do a footprint activity.
If you want to come with your wife or husband, with your child
they print and take it to their home with great happiness,
There is a story for this footprint activity.
President of Seychelles visited our mountain. Seychelles is located at the very 
center of the Indian Ocean. He came to visit Korea on October 2009
and enjoyed red-clay walking with footprinting. 
I gave it to him and I received two turtles.
They usually live more than 250 years.
They are 97 and 85 years old.
I think barefoot and Leatherback turtle does match well each other.
And a lot of reporters express their opinions about our red-clay road
after visiting the road. One of the CEO wrote about our road and he said that
our red-clay road as famous as Wakiki beach in Hawaii.
our red-clay road as famous as Wakiki beach in Hawaii.
We brought our clay from Gim-Jae but became famous
We brought our clay from Gim-Jae but became famous
our red-clay road as famous as Wakiki beach in Hawaii.
We brought our clay from Gim-Jae but became famous
just like Waikiki beach.
just like Waikiki beach.
The concert we hold is about classical music because
we aim for providing the family with music which they can enjoy together. 
We so do classical concert and the name for our concert is Fun and Fun.
I'll briefly talk about this concert after watching this video.

Here is our leader and she sings soprano.
She also give people flowers singing a song. Everyone loves it.
She says that it is not just giving a flower but happiness for people.
These days, we also invite writers and all people take their lectures.
People already feel great after walking,
and they feel even better thanks to the one hour classical concert.
Like this, we talk with writers and share ideas with them.
They look really exciting. don't they?
And it's also free!
So, most of them amways tell me that they envy the citizens in Daejeon.
So, most of them amways tell me that they envy the citizens in Daejeon.
They also ask me to make this kind of special walking in their regions.
They also ask me to make this kind of special walking in their regions.
They also ask me to make this kind of special walking in their regions.
A lot of people from another regions visit to enjoy walking and this contributes to attracking more tourists.
A few months ago, 350 of my alumni also came to walk on barefoot.
Daejeon is very easy to be accessed since Daejeon is the central city of Korea.
We walked and enjoyed concert together
and we had a dinner.
I paid eight thousand five hundred dollars.
This means that our festival boosts local economy.
Doesn't it?
There is no reason to go to hospital after you walk along the red-clay road.
There is no reason to go to hospital after you walk along the red-clay road.
Doctors may not be happy about it
but this  barefoot walking can reduce quite a lot of social cost.
Then, what is the special feature of our mountain road?
Usually the mountain road is the place used for loading forest resources
and helping people escape from the forest fire.
We repaved the road with red-clay and prepare the festival with
special concert.
This makes our road unique
and it became differenciation strategy.
We just added some new contents to existing infrastructure
and this became very different from other festivals.
This special contents attrack a lot of people
and also improve the quality of life.
We spend comfortable times to walk along the red-clay road
and it greatly reduces the Social cost.
I think this is the best example
of the way how to manage our lives wisely
This is the photo from the interview I did a few days ago.
This man resembles me right? I think almost equal actually.
This man resembles me right? I think almost equal actually.
.Then, how do we continue this festival for the future?
I want to put a robot on this road.
This can guide old or weak people to participate in walking together keeping them safe.
Recently, I've worked out in fitness center.
I planned to build up muscle
and walking along the red-clay road with my t-shirt taken off.
We can expose our skin to the wind and phytoncide.
This is also very good for our health.
There is also sunlight in the sky.
We can do sunbathe under the sun and I tried to think about making a place for this.
Or, we can invite painters and take people's portrait.
We can combine human,culture,technology,or even art with nature
and it will be able to improve the quality of life.
I want to use our festival as a great tool for successing in city-marketing
and let our event spread abroad.
Do you want to know why I do this?
Ironically, I sell So-ju which can be very harmful for us.
In Gye-Jok mountain, I heard 'thank you' for hundreds times
from in person and behind my back.
from in person and behind my back.
There is no better things except for being greeted by others.
Expressing gratitude people around you is also very meaningful.
Isn't it?
It is not about thinking about investing money and making profit
but I just feel excited and plan other special festival
as a reward for people who visit our road.
as a reward for people who visit our road.
This can be a small careful concern, right?
One of the citizens just take off his shoes
and I just followed him and it felt not bad.
After that, my idea reached to another point and I brought red-clay and hold a concert.
I simply started this project with pure interest.
It became unexpectedly creative contents.
I will do just like the same as what I've done for the present
which provide people with great joy.
Thank you.