By Kim Ji-soo
Staff Reporter
Mountaineer Um Hong-gil, who set a world record as the first climber to conquer the 16 peaks of the Himalayas, over 8,000 meters high, has been named the public relations representative of the Chuncheon 2010 World Leisure Congress and Leisure Games.
Chuncheon City announced its decision to name the 48-year-old record-setting mountaineer and professor at Sangmyung University as a spokesperson last Friday.
The international event will take place for six days, from Aug. 28 to Sept. 2, 2010, at Gangwon National University.
Over 2,000 scholars, practitioners, students, journalists, government officials, entrepreneurs and policy makers in leisure and related areas from around the world will be participating in the biannual science council to discuss and present their latest findings.
Um will attend various festivals and events hosted by Chuncheon City to publicize the event.
Um will be officially appointed at Chuncheon's City Hall on Monday in the presence of key figures, such as its Mayor Lee Gwang-ju and Son Eun-nam, the president of the organizing committee of the event.