Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon (second from right) on June 18 at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul's Jongno-gu District runs on a treadmill at the Non-motorized Treadmill Walking Challenge to mark the event's one millionth participant as part of the Seoul Metropolitan Government's pro-health campaign "Wrist Doctor 9988." (Seoul Metropolitan Government)

By Aisylu Akhmetzianova

"Contestants, please enter."

Participants make their way to treadmills with determined faces after the emcee says this. They start warming up to music before receiving safety instructions.

With a cheer, the challenge begins.

On June 18 at Gwanghwamun Square's Nori Madang recreational area in Seoul, people from all walks of life—children, senior citizens and those from abroad—took part in a mass exercise reminiscent of the first challenge of Season 2 of the Netflix reality show "Physical 100," in which where contestants compete to find the ideal human physique.

Forgetting the sweltering heat of 30 degrees Celsius, contestants walked or ran in unison on 100 non-motorized treadmills lined up in front of the statue of King Sejong the Great.

What attracted people to the square was the Non-motorized Treadmill Walking Challenge, which commemorated the millionth participant in Seoul's health companion campaign "Wrist Doctor 9988."

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, Amotti, the winner of Season 2 of "Physical 100," runner-up Hong Bum-seok and female fitness YouTuber Shim Euddeum joined the celebration. A combined 1,650 people participated in the event, which raked in carbon reduction donations for every 20 minutes of walking.

Launched by the city in 2021, the campaign promotes healthy lifestyle habits to people of all ages to help them live like "88," or palpal (healthy and active life), until age 99. An app tracks walking steps and rewards participants with points.

The city in September will launch programs for metabolic syndrome and mental health, aka Blue Touch, in parallel with those for planned pregnancy support for both sexes and helping infertile couples. From next year, services for helping smokers quit the habit will begin as the city plans to diversify its health care services.

Nationwide, local governments are running initiatives to improve the health and quality of life of their residents.

Since 2022, Busan Metropolitan City has run a pilot project that connects mental health clinics in the port city. Non-psychiatric primary medical care providers refer patients to mental health institutions or related welfare centers if they feel that their patients are at risk of depression or suicide.

In Gyeonggi-do Province, the Majestic Healthy Walking Campaign is active through October in nine cities and counties, starting last month in Gwangju. This year, the province will hold a companion walking campaign for senior citizens in collaboration with 24 municipal and county public health centers.

The government of Jeollabuk-do Province, aka Jeonbuk State, has lifestyle improvement projects to promote health in everyday life. Leading programs include clinics to help smoking cessation, obesity prevention, oral health and regular cancer checkups.

Its elderly health care initiative using information and communications technology like artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things and its mobile health care project at public health centers are available at all of the province's cities and counties, targeting the elderly and high-risk groups for chronic disease who are relatively neglected in health care.

As average life expectancy in the country surpasses 80 years and enters the centenarian era, the central and local governments are steadily introducing initiatives to improve public health and quickly devise policies to ensure the happiness and well-being of the population.

Residents of Gwangju, Gyeonggi-do Province, taking part in the Health Festival for Three Generations on May 18 participate in a walking campaign as part of a public health care initiative by the province. (Gwangju City Hall)

aisylu@korea.kr