Cheering for You as You Run! Cheering for a Trash-Free Earth!

WIPERTH: We Wipe Earth — Cheering for You as You Run! Cheering for a Trash-Free Earth!

What began as a plogging meetup has grown into a nonprofit organization, WIPERTH (We Wipe Earth), which shines a light on the single-use waste problem at marathon events. Last year, they held Korea’s first zero-waste marathon, ‘Muhaerun’ (Harmless Run). May the earth’s future shine as brightly as the sweat glistening from the joy of running.

Interviewee Kim Heeju, Kim Uijin (Dakkkun, members of WIPERTH)
Interviewer Ryu Sunwoo

Could you introduce yourselves briefly?
Uijin: Hello, I’m an activist working full-time at the nonprofit organization WIPERTH, and I go by the nickname ‘Lulu’! I started out picking up trash together back when WIPERTH was still a small meetup, and I’ve stayed with it ever since.
Heeju: Hello, I’m Kim Heeju, a Dakkkun (member) of WIPERTH. I go by the nickname ‘Dobby.’ I became interested in the environment after watching a documentary about a trash mountain during college, which led me to become a member of WIPERTH. Now I work alongside Lulu.

How did WIPERTH get started?
The current leader of WIPERTH, Dakjang (Hwang Seungyong), started a plogging meetup called ‘WIPERTH’ in March 2020. The name WIPERTH is a combination of ‘wiper’ and ‘earth.’ It started with just four people picking up trash together, and the number of participants grew to 10, then 20, then 100. Now it has grown into a proper organization with hundreds of members.

As a Dakkkun, what do you find most appealing about plogging?
Uijin: The state of mental emptiness it brings. Especially when I’m stressed out, chatting with fellow members while picking up trash makes me focus on the act itself, and my mind just clears completely.
Heeju: Even streets I’d normally just walk past, I now look at much more closely when I’m plogging. I start noticing things like, “There’s trash here?” or “Why was this thrown away here?” And beyond that, I think it makes me reflect on my own lifestyle too.

Muhaerun seems like a different kind of practice from plogging. What led you to connect running with the environment?
There’s a member who goes by the nickname EcoRun. After completing a full marathon (42.195km) carrying a tumbler, they sent us a photo proving it along with photos of the trash they witnessed on the course. That’s when we first realized just how much trash gets thrown away at marathon events. Seeing mountains of discarded paper cups and disposable raincoats — worn briefly to stay warm and then tossed — left all of us in shock. That’s where Muhaerun began. Our members were the first to recognize the problem, and we followed through with what we, as a civic organization, could do about it.

How did Muhaerun unfold? I’d love to hear about the specific efforts you made toward a harmless running culture.
With the goal of creating a sustainable marathon culture, we launched the ‘Muhaerun Campaign’ in 2023. That September, at the Seonsa Marathon, we introduced Korea’s first reusable cup water station, replacing single-use paper cups with reusable ones. We later introduced reusable cup stations at the JTBC Marathon and the Positive Half Marathon as well, cutting about 30,000 disposable cups that year alone. At the ‘2025 Muhaerun,’ which we hosted ourselves, we were able to go beyond paper cups and try reducing waste in *other areas too.

Was there a particularly memorable moment at the Muhaerun marathon?
Uijin: I’ll never forget the moment early on a weekend morning when all the participants gathered together to stretch. It gave me a real sense of certainty — that there are so many people who resonate with what we’re trying to do, and that we could truly spread a harmless running culture.
Heeju: The fact that there was truly no trash! While preparing for Muhaerun, we visited other marathon events and witnessed so much waste — disposable raincoats, plastic bags for baggage storage, paper cups, timing chips, and more. All of it was single-use, made and discarded for just that one moment. It was moving to see that Muhaerun had none of that. It confirmed that disposables can absolutely be replaced, and that it’s possible to create harmless moments even at a marathon event.

*The only waste generated at the 2025 Muhaerun was a single large banner. Resources needed to run the event, such as shopping bags, safety pins, and boxes, were all reused items donated by citizens. This was made possible through efforts across the board — using reusable timing chips and cups, and serving snacks like donuts on rice crackers instead of plastic-wrapped treats. The 2025 Muhaerun guide outlines guidelines for a sustainable marathon.

Were there any unexpected trials and errors in introducing reusable cups to marathons?
Of course. After trying Korea’s first reusable cup water station as part of the Muhaerun Campaign in 2023, we got a request the following year to collaborate on a water station for a large-scale marathon. We thought it was a great opportunity to spread the message to more people, so we decided to go ahead — but the moment we announced it, social media exploded with reactions. We hadn’t considered that for runners unfamiliar with reusable cups, even a single cup could become an obstacle affecting their time. I think we moved too fast. That experience taught us how important it is to communicate with the runners on the ground. Now we actively communicate with many runners and seek their advice, thinking carefully about the best way to approach things.

If you had to pick one thing from last year that stands out most in your memory, what would it be?
Uijin: Not just because we’ve been talking about it, but truly, it’s Muhaerun! Everything about hosting a marathon event was new to us, so simply completing it successfully made us happy.
Heeju: Definitely Muhaerun. We poured ourselves into preparing for it, so even a year later, it’s still vivid in my memory!

Is there a place you’ve come to love especially through your activities as a Dakkkun?
Heeju: I love a vegan Chinese restaurant in Itaewon called Alt.A. Since I got into environmental activism through picking up trash, I hadn’t initially considered going vegan too. But after meeting so many fellow members, I started leaning toward a vegan lifestyle, and these days we often go to vegan restaurants together after plogging. From delicious jjajangmyeon and jjamppong to chewy, crispy fried dishes, everything there is vegan, so the great thing is you never feel heavy or bloated afterward. It’s a place anyone can enjoy, vegan or not.
Uijin: I love Alt.A too. If I had to name one more, I’d say Sunny Bowl, a vegan restaurant near Ewha Womans University. I don’t get to go often, but every time I do, the owner greets me with such a bright smile, and the food, which brings out the natural flavors of the vegetables as much as possible, always feels healing after a tiring day.

If someone wants to join WIPERTH’s activities, how can they do so?
Anyone with the will to help can become a member. We post recruitment news on WIPERTH’s various channels (we run an Instagram account, a KakaoTalk open chat room called ‘Sudadak,’ a Naver café, a Kakao channel, and more). Start by joining whatever activity interests you. There’s a wide variety to choose from — the monthly **WIPERTH Day where we clean the earth together, neighborhood activities hosted by ‘Kkeuldak’ members who’ve completed the citizen activist training program, regular runs by the Muhaerun crew, and events hosted by chapters outside the greater Seoul area.

These days, what environmental issue comes up most often within WIPERTH?
Rather than focusing on one specific topic, we tend to talk a lot about environmental issues in everyday life. You can recognize environmental problems even in familiar places like the restaurant or café you visited today, or in a hobby like running. Environmental issues are always closer to us than we think.

** WIPERTH’s official event held on the second weekend of every month. Each month features a different program to bring people together, from plogging to pick up trash, to Culture Day for watching environmental films, to beach cleanups.

What do you think is most needed to make citizens’ voluntary environmental practices sustainable?
I think there are two key things. The first is a space where citizens can join forces without feeling alone. There’s a term called ‘climate depression,’ which describes the anxiety and helplessness people feel because of the climate crisis. We need communities where people can share these feelings and concerns and stand together. The second is making sure there are ongoing opportunities for people to feel a sense of efficacy. Since environmental issues are global in scale, it’s easy to feel distant from them or to sink into helplessness. That’s why we place great importance on giving people a genuine sense that they’re contributing to environmental protection, even in small ways. With that in mind, we design citizen-led programs that drive real change, like Muhaerun Eungwondakwon and the ***Kkeuldak training course.

What activities are you planning for this year?
Following last year, we’re preparing to hold the second Muhaerun event. Running has become so popular that it’s been difficult to secure a venue for the marathon, but we’re determined to make it happen and hope to run alongside even more participants! The monthly Wipers Day will also continue, with an even wider and richer range of themes. We look forward to welcoming new dakwon members who’ll connect with us through activities big and small~

*** Since 2024, Jigudakkeun Saramdul has run a training program for citizen activists, and over two years it has trained a total of 30 citizen activists. Kkeuldak is short for ‘dakwon who lead citizens’ practice.’ Once they complete the course, kkeuldak members are free to lead environmental activities within the organization, encouraging citizen participation on their own initiative.