Kang Dong-suk (; born May 25, 1969; Donald Kang) is a

yachtsman A yacht is a sailing or power vessel used for pleasure, cruising, or racing. There is no standard definition, though the term generally applies to vessels with a cabin intended for overnight use. To be termed a , as opposed to a , such a pleasu ...

and

adventurer An adventure is an exciting experience or undertaking that is typically bold, sometimes risky. Adventures may be activities with danger such as traveling, exploring, skydiving, mountain climbing, scuba diving, river rafting, or other extreme spo ...

from South Korea. On June 8, 1997, he became the first Korean to sail around the world single-handedly, when he completed a

circumnavigation Circumnavigation is the complete navigation around an entire island, continent, or astronomical object, astronomical body (e.g. a planet or natural satellite, moon). This article focuses on the circumnavigation of Earth. The first recorded circ ...

on a 30-foot (9.2-meter)

sailboat A sailboat or sailing boat is a boat propelled partly or entirely by sails and is smaller than a sailing ship. Distinctions in what constitutes a sailing boat and ship vary by region and maritime culture. Types Although sailboat terminology ...

''Pioneer 2'' (선구자 2), covering over 70,000 kilometers in 3 years and 5 months. In 1991, he completed the first

single-handed sailing The sport and practice of single-handed sailing or solo sailing is sailing with only one crewmember (i.e., only one person on board the vessel). The term usually refers to ocean and long-distance sailing and is used in competitive sailing and am ...

voyage of the

Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

by a Korean in his first sailboat ''Pioneer 1'' (선구자 1), a 29-foot (8.7-meter) boat, travelling the distance of 11,700 kilometers in 7 months. After arriving in Korea, he donated the Pioneer 1 to the

Korea Naval Academy Republic of Korea Naval Academy is a four-year military academy located in Jinhae, South Korea. Established in 1946, it is the oldest of the 3 service academies of Korea. The school educates naval midshipmen for commissioning primarily into the ...

The

Republic of Korea Navy The Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN; ko, 대한민국 해군), also known as the ROK Navy or South Korean Navy, is the naval warfare service branch of the South Korean armed forces, responsible for naval and amphibious operations. The ROK Navy in ...

, in recognition of Kang's sailing achievements, awarded him the first ever Honorary Member of the Republic of Korea Navy (명예해군) title. In November 1997, following his return from the sailing solo-circumnavigation, South Korean President

Kim Young-sam Kim Young-sam (; or ; 20 December 1927 – 22 November 2015) was a Demographics of South Korea, South Korean politician and activist who served as the seventh president of South Korea from 1993 to 1998. From 1961, he spent almost 30 year ...

invited Kang to the

Blue House Cheong Wa Dae ( ko, 청와대; Hanja: ; ), also known as the Blue House, is a public park that formerly served as the executive office and official residence of the president of South Korea from 1948 to 2022. It is located in the Jongno distri ...

and awarded him the "New Korean" (신한국인) title. In 1999, as a member of a Korean climbing team, he attempted to summit

Broad Peak Broad Peak ( ur, ) is a mountain in the Karakoram on the border of Pakistan and China, the twelfth-highest mountain in the world at above sea level. It was first ascended in June 1957 by Fritz Wintersteller, Marcus Schmuck, Kurt Diemberger, an ...

in the

Himalayas The Himalayas, or Himalaya (; ; ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the planet's highest peaks, including the very highest, Mount Everest. Over 100 ...

, the 12th highest mountain in the world. The team had to turn back when a climbing member fell to his death. After his return from the Himalayas, Kang graduated from

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California St ...

and worked at

Deloitte Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited (), commonly referred to as Deloitte, is an international professional services network headquartered in London, England. Deloitte is the largest professional services network by revenue and number of profession ...

as a public accountant. In 2005, Kang served as the expedition manager for the Korean mountaineer

Park Young-seok Park Young-seok (: November 2, 1963 – October 2011 on Annapurna) was a South Korean mountaineer. In May 2005, he became the first person in the world to complete a True Explorers Grand Slam. He climbed the world's 14 eight-thousanders, the ...

North Pole The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is the point in the Northern Hemisphere where the Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface. It is called the True North Pole to distinguish from the Mag ...

expedition, supporting Park achieve an

Explorers Grand Slam The Explorer's Grand Slam is an adventurer goal to reach the North Pole and South Pole, as well as climb the Seven Summits (Everest, Aconcagua, Denali, Kilimanjaro, Elbrus, Vinson, and Puncak Jaya or Kosciuszko). Purists also include a subma ...

. Park became the first person to climb all 14

Eight-thousander The International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation (UIAA) recognises eight-thousanders as the 14 mountains that are more than in height above sea level, and are considered to be sufficiently independent of neighbouring peaks. There is no ...

s and achieve the Explorers Grand Slam. Kang chronicled his sailing adventures in his book ''Yes I am passionate about the sea''. He also gives frequent lectures about his experience and expeditions. Sailboats (Pioneers 1 and 2) used by Kang for his sailing voyages are on display at the Korea Naval Academy and the Korea National Maritime Museum. Kang currently resides in the San Francisco Bay Area, working as an accountant. Pioneer 2 that sailed around the world

Notable expeditions

Books

* ''인생은 탐험이�
Life is Exploration
' 2022 * ''그래 나는 바다에 미쳤�

' 1997

Recognitions

References

External links

*
Pioneer 2 page on Korea National Maritime Museum websiteSolo-circumnavigation arrival in Busan, Korea
covered live by Seoul Broadcasting System in 1997, on YouTube {{DEFAULTSORT:Kang, Dong-suk 1969 births Living people South Korean emigrants to the United States Single-handed sailors Single-handed circumnavigating sailors Circumnavigators of the globe South Korean sailors