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Alleyway tour guide brings history to life through sign language

Published: 11 Feb. 2026, 13:39

Tour guide Hong Soon-deok [JOONGANG ILBO]

DAEGU — Hong Soon-deok, 73, is an alleyway tour guide with the Jung District Office in Daegu, where she leads visitors through backstreets rich with history.

“I feel like I’m where I need to be,” Hong told the JoongAng Ilbo at the Yangnyeongsi Tourist Information Center in Jung District on Monday. “I’m grateful for the work I’ve been given.”

Hong is the oldest guide on her team. She also serves as a sign language guide for deaf and hard of hearing visitors.

After graduating from high school, Hong studied trade at Daegu University — then called the Korea Social Work College — while also earning various certifications related to supporting people with disabilities. She worked at a school for students with disabilities for 20 years and later spent 12 years teaching a class for students with disabilities at an elementary school in Gangwon.

After retiring from teaching in 2015, she came across a job post for sign language guides and applied. She was formally appointed in 2017, at age 64.

Having spent her life alongside people with disabilities, Hong said she has lived by a certain motto: “Until the day comes that a disability is no longer a disability.”

“It makes me feel proud when I see people who are deaf or hard of hearing brighten up as they watch the stories I tell in sign language,” Hong said. “As long as my health allows, I want to keep helping and live happily.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY BAEK KYUNG-SEO [[email protected]]