Mountaineer Park Young-seok

Mount Baekdu was covered in snow Sunday last week. The first snow of the year falls in mid-September on the mountain. Mountaineers can enjoy autumn leaves in Yanji in China’s Jilin Province and the snow-covered scenery on Mount Baekdu at this time of the year. The path to Cheonji, the lake on the peak of the mountain located at an altitude of 2,750 meters, remains completely blocked. Mountaineers, however, can go near the 67-meter-high Jangbaek Falls created by the water in Cheonji.

Korea has had a close relationship with mountains from ancient times since they cover 70 percent of the Korean Peninsula. The ancient kingdom of Goguryeo settled in the northern part of the peninsula and chose the fortress of Jolbon located 800 meters above sea level as its capital. Areas near the fortress have no snow now. To reach Jolbon, a tourist must climb 999 steps. Surrounded by vertical rocks rising 100 meters, the fortress is a natural stronghold. Korea`s ancestors who climbed the paths leading to the fortress might have been expert climbers. A flag with the legendary three-legged crow is flying at the top of the fortress.

Champion alpinist Park Young-seok has gone missing while climbing the Himalayan peak of Annapurna. The last communication he made was “I will go down if I make two descents.” He became the world`s first to achieve the grand slam of mountaineering in 2005 by ascending the 14 highest Himalayan peaks, the South and North Pole, Mount Everest and the highest peaks on the seven continents. Park conquered the North Pole by traveling for more than two months despite bone-chilling temperatures of minus 40 to 60 degrees Celsius. He often said, “Those who take on challenges own the world,” adding, “I`ll never give up if there is a 1-percent chance."

As soon as he regained consciousness two days after missing his footing on Mount Everest, he reportedly said, “Wait! I`ll go again.” This time, he took on another challenge with one of his closest friends with the commitment to conquering the world`s highest mountain. Though his calf muscle is torn and his oxygen tank run out, he has never given up. Park, who has frequently hovered between life and death, is now locked in Himalayan snow. Saying he challenges himself to overcome his limits, the mountaineer will hopefully return home safely. Descendants of those who climbed Mount Baekdu do not give up easily.

Editorial Writer Ha Tae-won (triplets@donga.com)