🦶 The Miracle of Barefoot Walking: How a 72-Year-Old War Veteran Beat Terminal Cancer
By Sungtae Park’s Story
In February of last year, I was diagnosed with terminal cancer.
It started with a mild backache. As a Vietnam War veteran, I went to the Veterans Hospital for a check-up. The doctor ordered an X-ray and a blood test. Nothing unusual so far—until the bloodwork came back.
My PSA level was 935.
For those unfamiliar, PSA (Prostate-Specific Antigen) levels in healthy men typically range between 1 and 4. Even a PSA of 10 can be considered a late stage. Mine was not 10. Not even 100. It was 935—nearly a hundred times the level of terminal cancer. The doctor was visibly shocked. He said he had never seen anything like it.
But that wasn’t the worst part.
The cancer had already metastasized to my spine, specifically to thoracic vertebrae T9 and T10. The X-rays showed the bones completely blackened. The cancer had also spread to my central nervous system, leaving my lower body paralyzed. I couldn’t walk. I couldn’t sit. I couldn’t even use the toilet.
I was devastated.
I begged my doctor, not for a cure, but for ten steps—just enough to reach the bathroom. That’s all I asked for.
But he said there was nothing more medicine could do. I was told to go home and prepare for the end. Essentially, I was told to die.
And so I went home.
I lay in bed, preparing for death. But even in that state, I had a stubborn will to live. I told my wife where I had hidden my emergency savings—₩350,000,000 KRW (~$260,000 USD)—so she wouldn’t be left helpless after I passed.
Then one day, my daughter came into the room with a book. It was titled:
“Walk Barefoot”, written by President Dongchan Park.
I wasn’t interested in the title at first, but the subtitle caught my eye:
“Even cancer can be cured.”
I devoured the book. And for the first time since my diagnosis, I felt a flicker of hope.
I had been a mountain climber all my life—climbed over 3,000 peaks even while working full time. I thought I was healthy. Yet here I was, bedridden. But the book lit something in me. If walking barefoot could help… what did I have to lose?
I decided to try.
I began by dragging myself across the floor. Every step was a battle. After a few days of crawling and crying, I made it outside to a small 89-meter hill near my home: Geumdae Mountain.
And I walked. Barefoot.
Not just for minutes. For hours every day. From 9 AM to 3 PM—6 hours a day, every single day.
After two months, I went back to the hospital.
The doctor ran tests again.
My PSA level? From 935 to 0.05.
He stared at the results, speechless. He said it was medically impossible. The cancer in my spine? Gone. The nerve damage? Reversed. My lower body? Fully functioning again. I could stand. I could walk.
In two months, I was reborn.
But I didn’t stop there. I walked another three months.
PSA dropped again: 0.008.
And three months later: 0.006.
That’s not just a “normal range.” That’s perfect health.
Now? I carry 20 kg rice sacks like nothing. I drive. I climb mountains again. I even grew back hair on my bald head.
And I owe it all to one thing:
Barefoot walking, with a desperate heart.
What I Learned About Barefoot Walking
If you’re going to try it, here’s what matters:
Don’t just walk—walk with intention. A desperate, focused mind amplifies healing.
Wet ground is better than dry. Rainy days beat sunny ones.
Time matters more than distance. How long your feet are in contact with the earth is more important than how far you go.
Best surface? Sand. If you can, walk barefoot on a beach.
Many people have followed my path. Most are cancer patients like I was. Many are now in recovery—or fully healed. Some moved to the East Sea coast just to walk barefoot on the sand every day.
This isn’t just exercise.
It’s grounding, earthing, and healing—all in one.
So if you’re facing a dark chapter in life, I encourage you:
Walk. Barefoot. Desperately.
And maybe, just maybe, you’ll see your own miracle unfold beneath your feet.
Thank you.
— Sungtae Park, 72, Vietnam War Veteran & Cancer Survivor