From Tragedy to Triumph: The Inspiring Journey of Paragliding Legend Song Jin-seok

Paragliding legend Song Jin-seok has unveiled his tumultuous life story, overcoming a debilitating leg injury and a disfiguring crash to create the world's top paragliding wings.

On the October 1st episode of EBS's 'Seo Jang-hoon's Neighboring Millionaire,' the story of 'the man behind the world's number one paragliding wings,' Song Jin-seok, was featured.

With 50 years of experience and a background as a national paragliding representative, Song leads a global company that dominates the paragliding market. Seo Jang-hoon and Jang Ye-won visited Song's company, witnessing the international test pilots who gather to learn from him, underscoring his global stature. Song's son, a novice pilot, expressed confidence, saying, "I have no fear because my father made it." Seo Jang-hoon remarked, "The best company promotion is 'My son also flies it,'" expressing admiration.

A paragliding wing, priced at a staggering 10 million won, was revealed, capturing attention. Song explained that completing a single wing requires 1,500 to 5,000 hours of test flights, emphasizing, "Test flights are more important than a meeting with the president," showcasing his meticulous dedication.

Song began hang gliding in 1977 during his college years, encouraged by a friend. After a motorcycle accident left him with a leg disability, he found solace in hang gliding, which required only his arms. However, an unexpected accident occurred when his glider, made of tent-like fabric, became overly taut after getting wet and drying, causing him to crash onto sharp rocks, severely injuring his face.

In a critical moment, Song's father offered calm support, saying, "He came back with a medal on his face," and after recovery, gave him 150,000 won to build new equipment and fly again. Song recalls, "Without that 150,000 won, I wouldn't be who I am today," marking it as a turning point.

Song's engineering background and practical hang gliding experience fueled his passion when he first encountered paragliding in Germany. He eventually created the world's best paragliding wings. However, the IMF financial crisis posed another challenge. "I was literally on the street, unable to pay developers or buy rice," he recalled.

A client then entrusted him with 200 million won to produce competition equipment, and the resulting paragliders dominated international competitions, shaking the industry. Consecutive victories stunned Europe, drawing global attention with reactions like, "How can an Asian beat Europeans?" After overcoming the IMF crisis, Song established his company, amassing numerous trophies and becoming a legend.

Song has also invested his own money to host multiple World Cups in Korea, supporting Korean athletes with equipment, entry fees, accommodation, and flights. "After over 30 years of this, Korean athletes have reached a world-class level," he said, highlighting his contributions to elevating Korea's paragliding competitiveness.

Song concluded by sharing his heartfelt dream: "I eagerly await the day a Korean athlete wins a world championship with my wings and sings the national anthem in front of the Korean flag."

Tae Yuna, Ten Asia Reporter youyou@tenasia.co.kr