Good morning, fellow Koreans,

The severe drought that has been going on for quite a while has caused many wildfires across the country. As today happens to be Gogu, the day of “grain rain” in the lunar calendar, I truly hope that the long-awaited rain will come, refreshen the soil and help solve the water shortage.

Today, I would like to talk about bicycling as the Government has designated this week as Bike Week.

With the break in the cold weather these days, a growing number of people are going bike riding to keep in shape. Just as I did in the old days, many people used to ride bicycles. On the occasion of a Car Free Day last fall, I tried to ride a bike to work at Cheong Wa Dae. As a matter of fact, it had been a long time since I had tried to ride a bike, and I fell over several times in the beginning. By the time I had regained the hang of it, I had arrived at my office with a smile on my face.

Since then, my wife and I have often rode bicycles with our grandchildren on weekends. After an hour or two of bike-riding, I felt my stress being relieved and my leg muscles toned as well.

When I was Mayor of Seoul, I constructed a lot of bicycle and inline skating paths along the Han River Park. Citizens seemed to enjoy them very much.

Provincial governments across the nation are recently building many bike paths for the purpose of promoting health and leisure activities. However, they are mainly used for recreation but not yet widely for everyday activities.

It is true that roads as they are currently built make it difficult to ride a bike to commute to and from work, school and the market. That is because the absence of bike paths makes it dangerous and inconvenient.

Nowadays, bus-only lanes can occasionally be seen in big cities of some other countries. When the bus-only lanes were first introduced in Seoul, they caused a little inconvenience to the drivers of privately-owned vehicles, but contributed to the faster flow of public transport, making it more convenient in the end.

Same logic applies to bike roads.

To be able to ride bikes safely in urban areas, it is crucial to make sure that bike paths are well distinguished from pedestrian sidewalks. In addition, there should be a bike insurance system to guard against any possible theft or accident. Like in other countries, one way to encourage bike riders to take the subway would be to reserve at least one or two cars of the subway exclusively for those who take bikes to the subway station.  

Making these visions a reality will take a lot of time because the existing system has to be overhauled, which will in turn require additional funds. Still, as is the global trend, we will need to increase bike use and reduce car use for the sake of the future. 

Bringing about a green revolution in our daily lives is the spirit of the times. Reinstating carbon-free bicycles as a major means of transportation is a must. If we are going to follow such a path, it is better done as soon as possible.

I have seen many advanced nations and cities around the world redouble their endeavors to build themselves into so-called bikers'' paradises. An advanced bike nation is an advanced transportation country and, at the same time, is an advanced green country. 

My fellow citizens,

In my New Year Policy Address, I promised “The areas surrounding the four rivers... will be linked by bicycle paths.” By 2012 when the project to revitalize the nation’s four major rivers will come to an end, the total length of bike paths will amount to 2,000km along the Han River, Nakdong River, Geum River and Yeongsan River. Then, younger people living in Mokpo, Jeollanamdo Province will be able to set out from the Yeongsan River and bike to Seoul by way of the Geum River. In the meantime, those in Seoul could travel all the way down to Busan along the Han-gang and then the Nakdong River enjoying the fresh breeze. 

In this way, the eastern and western parts of the nation as well as central and southern parts will be interconnected through bike paths, thus promoting mutual understanding among the whole population of our country. These major bike paths, like an artery, will also be connected to small bike routes in towns and cities that serve as auxiliary paths. 

A hybrid bike would help senior citizens climb an uphill road with ease. After enjoying ecological tours and cultural activities on the riverside and in the surrounding forest, they could have a sound sleep at nearby youth hostels at night. Picturing this to myself, I am already filled with great exhilaration.

The satisfaction one gets from bicycling is quite different from the feelings one gets from driving a car. There is a certain art and beauty in going slow. Bicycle riders have genuine opportunities to appreciate the local atmosphere and the culture they encounter on the way. At the same time, there is a good chance for residents of less developed areas to vitalize their local businesses by attracting many bike riders.

By the time the network of bike paths is put in place, the nation would probably need 10 or 20 million bicycles. I hope we will not have to import all those bicycles from abroad. I am saying this because unfortunately there are very few Korean companies that make bicycles nowadays. Korea is importing more than two million of them annually from China, the Netherlands, Canada and other countries. Even though many older Koreans remember a prominent Korean bicycle manufacturer, Samcheolli, I understand that the company does not make products domestically any longer.

I hope to see more and more Korean companies begin to make bicycles soon. They should be able to develop core trend-setting, green technologies and apply them in manufacturing high value-added hybrid bikes. In this way, they will be able to sell them to many bike lovers overseas as well as in Korea.

Fellow citizens,

As you know well, bike-riding is good for your health and the environment. While helping save energy, bicyclists are good partners of green growth. I hope you will have more and more interest in bicycles. 

In fact, Korea has several cities that have a lot of bikers. We know bicycles are the main means of transportation for many citizens of Paris. But so are they for the citizens of Sangju City, Korea, and their tradition traces back quite some time. Also, workers in Changwon City are famous for using bikes for their daily commute. The Government intends to work closely with the cities and towns that are willing to nurture the culture of bicycling.

Fellow Koreans,

This coming weekend, a nine-day First Bicycling Festival of the Republic of Korea will be launched around the country. As another week dawns today, I would like you to have high hopes and step hard on the pedal of your life.

Thank you very much.

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