[Sports Seoul | Reporter Jo Seon-gyeong] Actor Guseong-hwan set out on a soul-clearing cross-country trek after losing his dog, Kkotbuni.
Episode 643 of MBC’s variety show I Live Alone, which aired on the 17th, followed Guseong-hwan as he attempted the walk from Seoul to Busan.
He told the show he’d already tried and failed twice to check this off his bucket list in his 20s. “I decided I’d try once more before I turned 50. If I failed this time, it would be over. This is my tearful final challenge in my 40s,” he said.
Guseong-hwan said he’d always planned to do it someday, but losing Kkotbuni—the dog he raised for 11 years—hit him hard. “She was like my daughter,” he said, visibly missing her. “I wanted to break out of that painful state of mind. That’s why I chose to walk.”
He completed the trek with rapper Hongga, carrying a “Kkotbuni” keychain on his bag and wearing a “Kkotbuni” bracelet on his wrist. Over 16 days, they covered 421 km (about 262 miles).
Last month, Guseong-hwan shared the heartbreaking news on his personal social media: “Even as I write this, I don’t want to accept it and I can’t believe it. My daughter, my sister, my partner Kkotbuni crossed the rainbow bridge on February 14.”
In a final farewell he wrote, “Sweet, affectionate Kkotbuni… thank you, I’m sorry, I love you so, so much. Let’s meet again someday! Eat lots of good food there, play happily with your friends, run around and be happy… I really, really love you.”
eternal@sportsseoul.com
