[Herald Business = Kim Myeongsang] A program designed to help participants restore physical function and encourage self-reflection will be held amid nature.Sunmaeul Wellness Resort and wellness brand PlayBySum will jointly host the Sum Wellness Retreat beginning May 2. The initiative aims to help busy people regain balance in both body and mind.
The retreat builds on a program the two piloted for professionals that drew positive feedback. Sunmaeul and PlayBySum kept the program’s core benefits while adapting it for a broader audience.
The retreat is now open to the general public, with exercises scaled so people of all experience levels can participate. New additions—journaling and insight sessions—are designed to help attendees organize their inner lives and develop personalized wellness routines they can practice at home.
Byun Shin-hye, CEO of PlayBySum and the program’s planner, said, “We focused on helping people gain deeper self-understanding through movement and on making restorative rest genuinely enjoyable. Participants will experience integrated wellness that addresses both body and mind, not just one-dimensional healing.”
Perched on Jongsasan Mountain in Hongcheon, Gangwon Province, Sunmaeul operates as a digital-detox retreat with limited connectivity, intentionally cutting off outside stimuli so participants can tune into their senses.
During the retreat, participants dine on meals built around seasonal, locally sourced Gangwon ingredients and spend time meditating and reflecting along the Jongsasan forest trail, which was designated the country’s first privately recognized “healing forest.”
The program begins May 2 and offers one-night/two-day and two-night/three-day packages. Details are available on Sunmaeul’s website.
A Sunmaeul representative said the retreat goes beyond physical recovery to foster self-understanding and provide guidance on life direction. “We expect this integrated body-and-mind wellness experience to offer more than rest,” the representative added. “It will prompt participants to reassess themselves and chart their next steps.”
