A wheelchair odyssey for a cause

Choi Chang-hyun

A wheelchair-bound Korean man disabled by cerebral palsy arrived in Berlin Wednesday after a 15-month-long journey around Europe to dramatize his plea for the reunification of the two Koreas.
Choi Chang-hyun, 42, had his hands and feet tied to the wheelchair to keep them from moving. Using his mouth to steer his electric wheelchair, he traveled 26,000 kilometers (16,155 miles) through 32 European countries at an average speed of 10 kilometers an hour (6.2 mph). Choi’s odyssey began in May 2006 in Greece. His feat will be listed next year in the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest marathon on an electric wheelchair.
“We say in the 21st century we are a global family,” said Choi in a statement upon reaching his destination. “But even in this era when everybody is family, Korea is divided in two ― the only divided country in the world.”
The wheelchair marathoner wants the steel fence separating North and South Korea to be pulled down, just like the Berlin Wall. “I undertook the hardship of the journey not because I am disabled, but because I am a Korean. I truly appreciate the support I received from the Korean expatriates in Europe and Korean Embassy personnel.”
Choi encountered many difficulties during his trip. He had to sleep on the street many times and there were times he had to go without food for as long as five days. In the course of his journey, Choi was granted an audience with the pope who gave him encouraging words.
At the final stop of his trip, at the Berlin Wall’s Eastside Gallery, Choi was greeted by more than 50 Koreans from the Korean Embassy, expatriates and members of German groups representing the disabled. Ilya Seiffert, a lawmaker from the German political party Die Linke, praised Choi’s efforts and accomplishment.
The European marathon tour was not the first for Choi. In 1999, he traveled on his wheelchair from Daegu to Imjingak, near Panmunjeom. He crossed the continental United States on a 112-day journey, covering 5,500 kilometers, and traveled 3,400 kilometers the length of Japan to publicize Daegu’s successful bid for the 2003 Universiade games. Some call him the “Forrest Gump of Korea.”
Choi now plans to extend his journey, from the Berlin Wall to Halla Mountain on Jeju Island in Korea via Turkey, India, China and Mount Paektu on the China-North Korea border.
“Until the two Koreas are back together, I will be on my wheelchair running the roads.” Since he established an organization for the disabled called A Brighter Tomorrow, Choi, a native of Daegu, has been actively engaged in promoting the rights of disabled people. His run in Europe was sponsored by several government organizations, Korea Air, Hyundai Motor, Woori Bank and other companies.

By Lee Jae-hoon JoongAng Ilbo [yhwang@joongang.co.kr]