My name is Lee Young-keun. On July 11, 2008, I left Incheon International Airport and arrived at my first destination, Dandong in China. From that place, I ran 960km with my bicycle (its weight is almost the same as me!) and arrived at Longjing, known for Yoon Dong-ju, one of the famous Korean poets. Now, I’m planning to climb Mt. Baekdu with the Keimyung University flag on my bicycle.
After climbing Mt. Baekdu, I’ll visit Beijing to see the ‘2008 Beijing Olympics’. And then I will tour southern China, East Asia, India, Pakistan, the Middle East, and finally the Republic of South Africa in 2010 where the ‘2010 World Cup’ will be held.
Maybe some people will say my choice is wrong. However, I’m sure that my two years will not be wasted. I’ll visit many countries and meet many people. As much as various experiences, my thinking will be wider and I’ll grow up to be a global person. To me, this world bike tour is an investment for my bright future.
I am writing all my travel experiences on my homepage website (www.samilee.net). You can see my travel preparations, pictures, and plans. I always welcome your support and participation through my homepage.
When I was in Korea, people always worried about me and said, “China is a very dangerous country. Be wary of the people, especially Koreans and Korean-Chinese people who live there.” However, when I came to Longjing, Korean and Korean-Chinese people always helped me. When I met them, they gave me useful information, water, fruit, even some money. Through these people, I could recognize the danger of preconception that we have before getting to know people. Their help and kindness made my vague fear toward China and Chinese people go away.



＊Lee Young-keun graduated from the Department of Architectural Engineering at Keimyung University in 2006 as ROTC (Reserve Officers Training Corps). Then, he served for two years and four months in the army as a second lieutenant and was discharged in June 2008. After discharge, he decided to go on a world bike tour for two years. The Gazette will put his interesting travel experiences in our newspaper.