Trek
wulijohyunjae | September 10, 2009 | 6:00 amIf you’ve read our 9/8/09 post “Latest on JHJ”, you’ll be interested to see these photos (from the Korean military website.) They give you an idea of what Jo Hyun-Jae had to go through on that 4 days/3 nights 40km trek. We have chosen not to post the more graphic photos. You don’t want to see close-ups of feet with blisters, do you?
Regarding the last photo, does that boot really have a hole in it?! Those army boots are very hardy and durable, but apparently they are not up to the task on such a tough trek. According to Defense Daily, each boot weighs between 1.528 to 1.701 kg (depending on the size.)
It breaks our hearts to think that JHJ is subjected to such an arduous trek, but at the same time we are very proud of him. That’s what makes a man a man!
Here are some photos of another battalion on a 5 days/4 nights 220 km trek over mountainous terrain that took place from May 7. Maybe this will be JHJ’s next big test.
After breakfast, it’s another day’s trek at break of dawn. The life of a soldier is really tough!
(Credit: http://tistory.com; http://korea.embassyhomepage.com; http://blog.daum.net; http://hyunjaelove.jp; www.johyunjae.hk. Thanks!)
wuliJHJ, thank you for sharing this information. It broke my heart too after reading it. Korean soldiers seems to be more tough than Taiwan soldiers.
After seeing those pictures, I understand now why ordinary Korean citizens are so bitter about the entertainment unit in their military, why they say that entertainers have unfair advantage over the ordinary Korean male with regards military service. It is really heartbreaking to think of our HJ going through such hardship, but I am glad as well that he didn’t use his star status to make life easier for himself, his family and his fans.
In the future when he looks back on his military service he can say with so much pride that he served his country as an ordinary soldier, and not look down with shame in his eyes and a sheepish smile on his face and whisper that he was an entertainment soldier. Not that JHJ would be prideful, he has always shown humility even if there is reason for him to be proud. And maybe people should stop saying “ordinary soldier”, there is nothing ordinary in what they have to go through. Active duty soldiers sounds so tame, they should be called EXTRAORDINARY soldiers!
I now know how to separate the real man from those who are pretending to be men among Korean male celebrities.