When the gust he has been waiting for arrives, he hoists the canopy upward where the air instantly gives it shape and then, as his fellow gliders shout, "go, go, now, go!" he turns and charges down the mountain, on course it appears with a tree. His legs pump furiously before he launches, rising slowly at first, still seemingly destined for the tree, then higher, he climbs above the peril and out into a place where there is nothing but freedom.

Heady stuff, but paragliding in its simplicity and design may be the purest form of flight there is. Forget about wings or fuselage, sheer aerodynamics and muscle are relied on to propel the pilot skyward to attempt to harness the elements or yield to their whims.

As hackneyed as it may sound to those who have never tried it, paragliding gratifies its participants' most innate urges, delivering freedom, adrenaline and accomplishment.

Nishio Seigo, captain of the Flying Friends paragliding club from Nagoya in Japan, recently brought eight members of his club to Yangpyeong, Gyeonggi Province, to sample the Korean paragliding scene. For Seigo, who has been paragliding since 1988, the attraction is simple. "Most people want freedom and I want to be a free man," he said. "That's how I feel when I'm in the air."

Originating in Europe in the early 80s, the sport came to Korea in the mid-80s where it quickly found a following. With its rugged terrain, 70 percent of which is mountainous, Korea is one of the premier destinations in Asia for paragliding and its more demanding cousin, hang gliding.

Such opportunities are reflected in participation rates with nearly 40,000 paragliders in Korea and in world standings with Korean gliders ranked in the top 10 in paragliding and hang gliding, respectively. What's more, Korean brands Edel and Gingliders are two of the world's leading manufacturers of paragliding equipment.

Noh Chan-ho, director of the Korea Hang gliding and Paragliding Association and owner of Fly Korea, an outfit that organizes paragliding and hang gliding tours for foreigners, has been hang gliding since 1982 and paragliding since 1986.

The former Korean Air Force Academy instructor attributes the sport's popularity to its perceived safety and low level of difficulty.

"It's easy to learn and not as fast as hang gliding so people think it's less dangerous," he said. "You can learn to paraglide in about two days, but personally I don't think it's less dangerous than hang gliding because the canopy is more affected by strong winds."

Another factor in the sport's popularity according to Noh is its utility. Unlike a hang gliding canopy, a paragliding canopy is not rigid and weighs less than five kilograms, allowing it to be folded up into a backpack and easily transported. Indeed, mountain climbers have been known to scale peaks before paragliding back down.

Speed and distance are obvious objectives for paragliders although much depends on the weather. "Once you're airborne, it's possible to fly as long as you want," Noh said. "On a good day, you can reach speeds of up to 30 kilometers an hour and cover huge distances. It's up to you."

Then of course there are the tricks. Paragliders ride ridge currents, which are found close to the mountains, and thermal currents, which are found out in the open air. While advanced paragliders delight in maneuvering in thermal currents, for beginners, they can be perilous as hot gusts from below, jolt the glider upward at speeds of 3-5 meters a second. Other tricks include loops and stalls where the glider freefalls in a downward spiral, which is not dangerous, Noh said, as long as your altitude is above 200 meters.

Noh's outfit, Fly Korea, attracts beginners and professionals from Japan and

Europe, along with expats here in Korea and occasionally international commercial pilots who fly during breaks in their schedule.

Members of Flying Friends believe Korea is an ideal weekend trip from Japan and are impressed with the conditions. "We decided to come here because it's close and we heard there are many good spots over here," Captain Seigo said. "Also, we know the Korean brands Edel and Gingliders so we wanted to fly in the country of those companies."

It is a transformation to behold as Flying Friends, a disparate, rag-tag group with seemingly little in common, dons flight suits, helmets and shoes and straps on altimeters and radios, to become a professional flying unit.

The group that has hitherto been acting as if they are on a cruise become at once serious when shown the landing area, an old tennis court that could be likened to a postage stamp from the air, said Noh.

Questions abound and the surrounding area is thoroughly checked out - an empty and deep, concrete swimming pool not too far beyond the tennis court, bringing grumbles and nervous laughter.

Jokes aside, Seigo says his group can never fully relax and are always on the lookout for thermal currents. "We get scared sometimes because we can't see the wind and it's difficult to read," he said. "It can shock you."

With all the elements of an extreme sport, paragliding sits alongside hang gliding, sky diving and base-jumping as an aerial pursuit and most enthusiasts are experienced in several of the other sports. While it may attract the daredevil breed, it's perhaps the most accessible aerial sport for the layman.

Fly Korea has various packages available for beginners that include instruction, transport, accommodation and equipment for around $100 a day. For advanced gliders, a tour can be tailored to your needs, although you will have to bring your own equipment. Fly Korea offers tours to Yangpyeong, Dangyang and Mungyeong. For more information, go to www.flykorea.co.kr, or contact Noh by e-mail at flykorea@hanmir,com or by phone on 016-276-5269.

By Ben Jhoty Staff reporter (bjhoty@hotmail.com)