(Seoul) Jo Jin-woo, the 33-year-old South Korean YouTuber behind “Jin’s Travel”, who was known for cycling around the world, has died after being hit by a large lorry while cycling in Bolivia, South America, far from home. He was killed at the scene. The driver fled but was arrested by police several hours later.
According to South Korean media reports, the accident happened in El Alto, Bolivia, at 9.30am local time on 4 November. Jo Jin-woo was cycling when he was struck by a large lorry and suffered fatal injuries. He had been regularly posting updates on his cycling journeys, sharing scenery from around the world with viewers. His sudden death has left long-time followers of his channel struggling to come to terms with the news.
According to an announcement, the driver did not remain at the scene to help with rescue efforts after the collision, but drove away. Bolivian police immediately launched a search and arrested the driver several hours after the accident. The exact circumstances of the collision remain under investigation.
Jo launched his YouTube channel, “Jin’s Travel”, in 2020, documenting the scenery and daily life along his route under the motto “Tracing my own path across the world map by bicycle”. Setting off from South Korea, he went on to cycle through Europe, Africa and North America, attracting many travel enthusiasts. His channel has more than 880,000 subscribers.
From 31 March 2022 to 4 September 2023, he spent 523 days cycling through 36 European countries, covering about 23,200km in a display of exceptional perseverance and physical endurance. Besides long-distance cycling, he also took part in the Daegu Marathon on 22 February this year, completing the 42.195km course to finish his first full marathon. His life was tragically cut short at such a young age.
