Five Blind Students Heading for Mt. Baekdu

``Although we cannot verify the magnificence of the Mt. Baekdu with our own eyes, we¡¯d like to climb the `spiritual mountain of Korean people.``

Five blind students of the Special Education Department of Daegu University, Lee Yong-Seok (25. senior), Na Dae-Churl (29. junior), Bong Kee-Yong (23. sophomore), Kim Byung-Woo (31. sophomore), and Hur Jung-Mee (20. freshman), are heading for China today to climb the lake `Chunji` of Mt. Baekdu with a schedule of 18 days.

After visiting the welfare facilities and historic sites in Beijing, Changchun, and Yanji, the students, grouping with 6 other assistants, will try to conquer the peak of the Mt. Baekdu on around 28th.

They prepared the cost of the trip by receiving a school stipend for their contribution to the school¡¯s four months project on the electronic book development that started last November.

The team leader Lee said, ``No matter how difficult, we will conquer the summit of the Mt. Baekdu.`` ``We hope that this journey can be a chance to plant a spirit of `I can do`, a spirit of challege, for all physically challenged people``, he added.

Jeong Yong-Kyun cavatina@donga.com