Um Hong-gil

Um Hong-gil (Korean: 엄홍길; Hanja: 嚴弘吉; born September 14, 1960) is a South Korean mountaineer.

In this Korean name, the family name is Um.
Um Hong-gil
엄홍길
Born (1960-09-14) September 14, 1960
Goseong County, South Gyeongsang
NationalitySouth Korea
OccupationMountaineer
Known forbeing the first person to climbing the 14 highest points on Earth
Military career
Service/branchSouth Korea Navy
Years of service1980 - 1983
RankNavy Petty Officer Second Class
Korean name
Hangul
Hanja
Revised RomanizationEom Honggil
McCune–Reischauerŏm Homkil
Websitewww.umhonggil.com

He has led many South Korean summer expeditions to Mount Aconcagua in Argentina, where he has successfully climbed South America's highest mountain many times.

In 2000, he finally climbed K2 (8,611m), which means his team completed the whole mission to go up 14 peaks higher than 8,000 meters in altitude within 12 years.[1] He tried to climb Mount Everest in September 2005, but failed.[2] He tried again three years later and his attempt was successful. He also carried out a mission on Kangchenjunga.

Um Hong-gil has reached the summit of all 14 eight-thousand meters peaks in the world, and is the first person in climbing the 16 highest points on Earth.[3]

He was awarded the Himalayan Crown when he completed the 14 highest peaks in 2001. He is the first South Korean and the eleventh climber in the world to hold this distinction.

He led successful expeditions up Everest in 1988, 2002 and 2003. He has climbed both the North and South Sides of the Everest. Um Hong-gil has stood on top of Everest three times.[4]

On December 13, 2007, he succeeded in reaching the summit of Vinson Massif, the highest peak of Antarctica.[5]

The film 히말라야/The Himalayas was released on December 16, 2015. It was directed by Lee Seok-hoon and starred Hwang Jung-min in the role of Um. The film is based on Um's real life, primarily focusing on his mentorship of two other climbers who later died during an ascent. The film beat the box office battle with Star Wars: The Force Awakens, released the same weekend in South Korea.

Charitable activities

Um Hong-gil invested his time with The Beautiful Foundation in his native South Korea. He helped start the program "Gil Sarang Fund" (Loving the Road) in order to support cultural activities for handicapped people.[6]

See also

References
  1. "He finally climbed on K2" Kookmin Ilbo(daily) 2000-07-31
  2. Mt. Everest 2005: Koreans return to bring back the dead bodies of the three lost Korean climbers from 2004
  3. Mr. Um Hong Gil has bagged his 15th 8000 meter peak. EverestHistory.com.
  4. EverestHistory.com article on Um Hong-gil.
  5. Reaching to highest point of antarctica, Vinson Massif Yonhap News.
  6. The Beautiful foundation beautifulfund.org 2005. Retrieved 21 January 2011.
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