"Does anyone here like hiking? I'm assuming not many of you do. It’s not easy to find people who like it. There's no one around me either except for my parents. People often prefer the sea to the mountains. I can understand why people don’t like hiking though, as I used to be one of them. It was really hard, my whole body would ache and it just wasn't fun. But now I love it. I started going to the mountains to improve my health and to reduce stress, and it was a turning point in my life.
I've been to many mountains before and after hiking became my hobby. I recently went to Biumsan and Namsan with my father. Biumsan is near Changwon Jungang Station. On my way to the top, I had to rely on my hiking stick because I wasn’t used to going up such a tall mountain. It wasn't easy for me but the beautiful nature helped me to keep going. Honestly, I wanted to give up, but I just couldn’t because I really wanted to see the view from the top. There's a valley there, so it’s best to visit during the summertime.
Namsan is in Jinhae. It’s not that tall, but it is very steep so it was quite hard. In Namsan, there's a Japanese fortress called Ungcheonwaesung, which is a cultural heritage site. Also, from the top of the mountain, there is a really nice view of Geojedo and Geoga bridge.
Palgongsan is the hardest mountain I’ve ever been to. There were many different courses and my parents chose to take the one leading to Gatbawi. I don’t really remember it though because at that time I hadn't started to enjoy hiking yet. It was really difficult because there were lots of stairs. The mountain consists of 1365 stairs, which represents the meaning of 1 year and 365 days. Gatbawi is a buddhist statue at the top of the mountain and is considered culturally sacred. It's said that if you make a wish to him genuinely, your wish will come true, so it's quite a popular destination. When we were on our way back, my mother saw how exhausted I was so she made us take the shortcut, for which I was thankful. However, unfortunately, the shortcut was narrow and slippery and put us in danger of falling down the mountain. I was really scared and even cried, but my father didn’t help me at all. Instead, a stranger lended me a hand and I was able to make it down safely. I'll never forget this experience.
Hwawangsan in Changnyeong is also a nice mountain. It's quite tall as well and is famous for its azalea flowers in spring. I don’t have a lot of memories from this mountain, but the one thing I can clearly remember is the beautiful flowers. If you want to see azaleas, I recommend you either go there, or to Cheonjusan, which is renowned for its azalea festival. It’s a mountain in Changwon so if you have the chance, you should definitely visit.
One of the goals on my bucket list has been to challenge the 100 mountains, which is a list of 100 noted mountains selected by The Korea Forest Service. I've decided to fulfil my goal and am planning to go this winter. I highly recommend that you all try hiking. I know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea but it’s worth a try. It gives you the change to experience the wonders of nature, so I’m sure it would be a good experience for you."
Just some overall tips - try not to repeat words too much. For example, in the first paragraph, there's no need to use the word "hiking" so much, as people already know what you're talking about. Also, using contractions like, 'there's' instead of 'there is' generally sounds a lot more natural in spoken language, even in formal settings. The last thing I'd comment on is the flow of your sentences. They're quite short and choppy, especially for a speech. I would recommend stringing some sentences together to make them sound more fluid :)
