- Publication ceremony held for the guidebook during the new year gathering of the Safe Swim Association of Korea (SSAK)

- SSAK launches its training program for survival swim instructors in earnest.

SSAK held its new year meeting cum publication ceremony for its guidebook at Seoul Olympic Parktel on February 4. Photo provided by SSAK.

The ‘Leaf Float’ survival swim program, which can help make even non-swimmers float on the water for the first time in the world, will be distributed nationwide. In this regard, SSAK published a guidebook titled the ‘Leaf Float Survival Swim’ and organized its institutional system to be ready for disseminating the floating skills in a fuller scale.

SSAK, upon completing the composition of its executive members, held a gathering for this new year meeting cum publication ceremony for the ‘Leaf Float Survival Swim’ guidebook. In December last year, the Ministry of Public Safety and Security (MPSS) permitted SSAK to be registered as a non-profit corporation.

Kim, Cheol-Ghee, Executive Director of the Korea Parkinson's Disease Association (KPDA), who had served for the Bank of Korea (BOK) and then, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) as an international finance expert, has been elected the first CEO of SSAK. He has been taking the role of ‘Leaf Float Promoter’ since he retired from ADB due to his Parkinson's disease. From this month, SSAK will begin its main operations to promote public awareness and educate people, on safe water activities.

CEO Kim, Cheol-Ghee announced in the opening speech, “As SSAK rolls out its main operations, we will collaborate with the existing players by opening up our skills to them, rather than competing with them.“ Then, he further stated, “Through disseminating our unique water survival method both in Korea and abroad, we hope to substantially upgrade the standards of safe swimming and help people enjoy the water like a playground without having fear of drowning anymore.“

Kim, Chang Yeoung, Chief Director of the Korea Institution of Safety Certification, addressed in his congratulatory speech, ”I would like to witness the materialization of a ‘floating mankind’ in the future once SSAK’s Leaf Float method is widely distributed.” He, then, continued, “I hope that SSAK will grow to become one of the most honorable and fine organizations, contributing to making Korea a safer nation.”

Kim, Chang Yeoung, the Chief Director of the Korea Institution of Safety Certification, was delivering his congratulatory speech at SSAK’s new year gathering. Photo provided by SSAK.

Then, Kang, Dae Hoon, Fire Chief/Deputy Director For Safety and Environment Policy, the Office for Government Policy Coordination, who had adopted the ‘Leaf Float’ as the official “119 Survival Swim” as Chief of the Busan Fire Academy earlier last year, gave the following congratulatory speech, “Provided the ‘Leaf Float’ method is widely distributed, the need for rescue operations would diminish significantly. Even then, the rescue force members themselves will require to learn the ‘Leaf Float’ method. I would like to thank SSAK for having developed one of the best water survival methods which many people will use easily without having the fear of the water.”

Professor Youk, Hyeon Chel from the Korea National Sport University (KNSU), who had set record in 100m and 200m backstroke swimming domestically while he was a national team swimmer, mentioned in his speech, “We should praise the trainers who taught the fundamental skills that helped the player win a golden medal more than the player who won the medal. I hope that SSAK will help upgrade the standards of swimming in Korea through disseminating the Leaf Float skills as fundamental skills for swimming.”

He, then, continued to say, “I hope that SSAK will disseminate the ways to help people enhance their quality of living and make their old age happier and healthier while practicing the Leaf Float for safe swimming.”

Professor Ham, Do Woong from Hanseo University also mentioned, “It is highly meaningful for SSAK having developed the Leaf Float method as a systematic education program, for the first time, to teach people on how to become safe in the water by learning the self-floating method, avoiding a panic when fallen into deep water. I believe that the Leaf Float method will contribute to the expansion of ocean sports in the future.”

The co-authors of the ‘Leaf Float Survival Swim’ guidebook were participating in the book signing ceremony. From left Ahn, Chi Kwon, the inventor of the Leaf Float, Professor Ham, Do Woong of Hanseo University, Youk, Hyeon Chel of KNSU, Kim, Cheol-Ghee, CEO of SSAK, Kim, Young Don, author of Marina Humanities, and An, Kyoung Hun, Triathlon Head Coach. Photo provided by SSAK.

Following the new year meeting, SSAK held the publication ceremony for its guidebook, ‘Leaf Float Survival Swim’. This guidebook published by SSAK as a ‘not-for-sale’ book was written by a group of the best experts. Kim, Cheol-Ghee, the first CEO of SSAK, and 5 experts comprising Youk, Hyeon Chel (Professor of KNSU/Dean of the Graduate School of Sports and Leisure Studies, KNSU), Ahn, Chi Kwon (the inventor of the Leaf Float/Head Coach of SSAK), An, Kyoung Hun (Seoul Triathlon Team Head Coach/Former Head Coach of Triathlon National Team), Kim, Young Don (Research Professor of Bukyung University/Head, M&F Culture Research Center/author of ‘Marina Humanities’), and Ham, Do Woong (Professor of Hanseo University) contributed as co-authors.

Professor Youk, Hyeon Chel mentioned, “Because swimming instructors neglected teaching how to play in the water, how to get familiar with water, and how to float on the water, while focusing on teaching how to swim fast, many of those with aqua phobia or those who entered the water for the first time and feel difficulties in learning how to swim, having fear of water.”

Then, Professor Youk added, “If we are taught on the Leaf Float, which I believe everyone from now on should be taught before learning how to swim as the most fundamental skills, we can learn swimming very easily, comfortably, and safely.”    

Ahn, Chi Kwon, Head Coach of SSAK, alerted, “We are not in a calm, warm, and safe swimming pool with swimwear and goggles on under the daylight. Our Leaf Float Survival Swim program teaches you how to survive until the rescue team arrives, when put into real situations, such as a rough sea, a fast-flowing river, and so on, risking your life at any moments.“

The ‘Leaf Float Survival Swim’ guidebook will be reproduced as an electronic book and sold to the public at an affordable price for their easy purchase, starting from this month.

The ‘Leaf Float Survival Swim’ guidebook introduces an innovative way how to float on the water using human body buoyancy only. Photo provided by SSAK.

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