Daegu — About 2,000 people turned out for the 2026 Songhae Park Dalseong Walking Event, Dalseong County officials said on the 26th.The event, held the previous day at Okpo Gise Soccer Stadium, offered three routes across a total of 16 kilometers (about 9.9 miles), designed to match participants’ fitness and experience levels.
Routes ranged from a 4 km (2.5 miles) loop that starts at Gise Stadium and follows the scenic Songhae Park trail, to a 10 km (6.2 miles) course that continues along a boardwalk to Okpo Gankeonggyo, and a 16 km (9.9 miles) stretch that passes the popular sunset spot Samunjin Jumak Village and finishes at the Dalseong Wetland Ecology Learning Center.
Walkers paused at snack stations along the way to enjoy the natural scenery, and many celebrated at the finish line with completion certificates and event souvenirs.
Kim Seong-je, chair of the Dalseong County Sports Council, expressed gratitude to the Dalseong Police Station, the Dalseong Volunteer Crime Prevention Corps, the Daegu City Trekking Federation and the sports association’s volunteer teams for their behind-the-scenes support that helped keep the event safe. “I hope this walk gave everyone a chance to recharge amid the park’s beauty,” he said.
Lawmaker Chu Kyung-ho, who attended the event, described a walk through Songhae Park’s spring landscape as a much-needed “comma” — a brief, restorative pause — for residents worn down by busy daily life. He added that warm conversations shared while walking could help strengthen local community ties.
Mayor Choi Jae-hoon said walking is an exercise rooted in persistence rather than distance. “I hope the confident first steps people took today in Songhae Park grow into lasting, healthy habits in their everyday lives,” he said.
