World-renowned mountaineer Um Hong-gil appears on ‘Radio Star’ and announces that he has become an ‘Honorary Nepali’ as a Himalayan mountaineer. After receiving an honorary citizenship, he is exempted from a visa to Nepal and reveals that there is a hotel with an ‘Um Hong-gil Room’. He also surprises everyone by saying that the foundation that bears his name is about to break ground on its 20th school.

On the 26th, MBC‘Radio Star’ (planned by Kang Young-sun/directed by Kim Myung-yeop and Hwang Yoon-sang) will feature a special on ‘Pursuing Encounters on the Uphill Path’, featuring Um Hong-gil, Lee Soo-geun, Kim Dae-ho, and Sunwoo (The Boyz).

Um Hong-gil, the first person to successfully climb all 16 of the 8,000m peaks of the Himalayas. He surprised everyone by revealing that he founded the ‘Um Hong-Gil Human Foundation’ to build schools for Nepal, a country that helped him achieve his wish as a mountaineer.

Currently, the 20th school is under construction, and the first school was built in Pangboche Village, on the way to Mt. Everest. He arouses curiosity by revealing the special reason for this. Also, when he learned that the school exists at an altitude of 4,620m, Lee Soo-geun, who was next to him, said, ‘It‘s the ‘highest school in the world‘, causing everyone to burst into laughter.

For this reason, he recently received an ‘Honorary Citizenship’ from the Nepalese government, and everyone cheered when he said that he could travel between Korea and Nepal without a visa. Also, when it was said that he would be treated more kindly than the president in Nepal, he humbly said, “We have had a long relationship,” and mentioned that there is a famous hotel in Nepal called the “Eom Hong-gil Room.” It is said that the special treatment given only to those boarding domestic flights in Nepal drew applause.

Eom Hong-gil tells the story of how he became the first mountaineer to climb all 16 of the 8,000m peaks of the Himalayas, and also reveals that he experienced hallucinations and auditory hallucinations. In particular, he says that the things he fears the most are altitude sickness and frostbite, and everyone was moved by the picture of his frostbitten feet. In particular, he touches everyone by sharing the story of how he was rescued after a near-death accident, but then climbed to the summit.

The special relationship between Eom Hong-gil and MC Yoo Se-yoon is also revealed. In 2007, after he set a world record of being the first to climb all 16 peaks, MC Yoo Se-yoon visited him there and the meeting was arranged. Yoo Se-yoon said that he ended up leaving the ‘Gag Concert’ behind the scenes, raising curiosity about the reason.

The story of Um Hong-gil conquering the Himalayas and the story of his second act in life, the ‘Uphill Road’, which leaves new footprints wherever he goes, can be seen on ‘Radio Star’, which will be broadcast on Wednesday, the 26th at 10:30 PM.

Jeon Hyo-jin, Donga.com Reporter jhj@donga.com

This article is automatically translated using Google AI. If you notice any inaccuracies, please let us know at allkstar@donga.com.