"If I load the luggage, he just lies down" The companionship of a mountain man and a donkey walking silently along rough mountain paths

Mucheoksan Mountain in Gimhae, South Gyeongsang Province, where rugged rocky peaks soar. At the top of this mountain, which is famous for its difficult paths, there is a small prayer house where people who opposed Shinto shrine worship during the Japanese colonial period offered prayers for the nation. The daily life of Lee Il-woo, who has been in charge of managing this place for a year and a half, is quite different from the life of an ordinary city dweller. His only family and friends guarding his side are two donkeys: the dignified 'Cross' and the troublemaker 'Crown'.

"If I load the luggage, he just lies down" The guide of the rough mountain path, donkey Cross

The terrain of Mucheoksan Mountain is steep and rugged. Twice a month, Lee Il-woo carries daily necessities up the mountain with the help of the donkey Cross. The process of moving daily necessities to the prayer house on the mountain is like 'asceticism of climbing a great mountain' to Mr. Lee. However, the donkey Cross seems already accustomed to these rough paths, being skilled enough to go beyond a guide and even decide where to rest.

Of course, life with a donkey is not always smooth. In the video, Cross shows a rough side, such as suddenly lying down when loaded with luggage or kicking when approached. Mr. Lee laughs it off, saying, "He hasn't become trained yet," but the exhaustion of mountain life is evident. He secures food through farming in fields he builds himself on the mountain, cultivating sweet potatoes, bell peppers, tomatoes, carrots, and more. An interesting fact is that about 60 percent of the crops he harvests belong to the donkeys. As if saying, "Those who share a meal are family," he shares meals with the donkeys to soothe the silence of the mountains.

"It's lonely in winter" The 'lovely enemy' that soothes the solitude of mountain life

For Mr. Lee, who only had a social life in the city, mountain life is a continuous challenge. Since it is his first time farming, he is clumsy, and he must endure the hardship of personally carrying firewood up from the foot of the mountain to survive the winter. In particular, the sense of isolation during the winter when people do not visit makes it difficult for him. "It is especially lonely in winter; it is hard to endure because people do not come up," he confesses.

Ironically, what soothes that loneliness are the 'troublemaker' donkeys. The donkeys, who are greedy and often do not listen, are the 'most lovely enemies' to Mr. Lee. He finds solace in mountain life through the process of sharing sweet potatoes dug from the field and providing carrots as snacks. In the silent mountains, the loud noises and movements of the donkeys are the most vivid signs proving that he is not alone.

From 20s to 80s, friendship with 400 black goats on the Pyeongchang ridge

In Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province, another landscape unfolds on a wide grassland at 700 meters above sea level. The owner of this vast ranch, which is the size of 14 soccer fields where about 400 black goats roam, is Park Yeong-sik. He is a man who alone protected the ranch that his brothers left for the city and even his parents were about to give up on. Having managed the ranch for 20 years, he now regards the black goats not merely as livestock, but as 'friends'.

The key to ranch management is constant patrolling. This is because it is frequent for pigs to dig holes overnight causing the goats to escape, or for them to eat all the crops. Mr. Park says, "Since they are animals, it is hard to know their minds," and soothes the disobedient goats by giving them mulberry branches as a special treat. As he says they are friends who have shared his youth from his 20s to his 80s, the black goats are the strength that sustains his life. From his words, "There are many times when it is hard, but while I am doing it, I try to have fun," one can feel the firm will of old age, silently cultivating life alongside animals.

According to the EBS documentary video, they are each welcoming autumn together with their animals in different mountains and grasslands. While it is a site of hard labor for some, for them, animals are the unique and kind channel that connects their isolated lives.