Gwangju City to Establish Municipal Arboretum Near Yanggadong Regional Sanitary Landfill in Nam-gu

Completion Next Year with 43 Billion Won Invested in 240,000㎡ Area

On the afternoon of the 28th, Lee Yong-seop, Mayor of Gwangju Metropolitan City, attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the "Gwangju Municipal Arboretum Construction Project" near the Yanggwa-dong Regional Sanitary Landfill in Nam-gu. He participated in the ceremonial first digging along with Kim Dong-chan, Chairman of the Gwangju City Council, Choi Wook-jin, Chairman of the Gwangju Sanitary Landfill Residents Support Committee, and other guests. Photo by Gwangju Metropolitan City

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Seon-gang] A premium arboretum capturing the charm of the southern region and the four seasons of Mudeung is being established in Gwangju.

Gwangju Metropolitan City announced on the 28th that it has officially started construction along with the groundbreaking ceremony for the Gwangju Municipal Arboretum at the site around the Yanggwa-dong Regional Sanitary Landfill in Nam-gu.

The municipal arboretum, which was decided to be established in 2009, has begun construction after 11 years, becoming an example of resolving another long-standing issue during the 7th local government administration.

At the groundbreaking ceremony, to prevent the spread of COVID-19, only about 100 people including Lee Yong-seop, Mayor of Gwangju Metropolitan City, Kim Dong-chan, Chairperson of the City Council, Choi Wook-jin, Chairperson of the Gwangju Metropolitan City Sanitary Landfill Resident Support Committee, and local residents attended as the minimum number. Thermometers and hand sanitizers were placed at the entrance of the venue to ensure thorough infectious disease prevention.

Mayor Lee Yong-seop said in his commemorative speech, “There are a total of 64 arboretums nationwide, and Gwangju was the only city without a national or public arboretum, but finally, that stigma has been lifted.” He added, “The municipal arboretum project had not progressed for over 10 years since the plan was established in 2009, but it is very meaningful that various issues have been resolved and full-scale construction has begun during the 7th local government administration.”

He also said, “After COVID-19, safety, environment, and ecology have become important values,” and added, “The Gwangju Municipal Arboretum will not only expand the insufficient green space in our region and enhance forest welfare services but also provide a comfortable space for rest, healing, recovery, and communication for our citizens, and we will support it generously.”

The Gwangju Municipal Arboretum will be developed on a 246,948㎡ (74,701 pyeong) scale around the Yanggwa-dong Regional Sanitary Landfill in Nam-gu, with a total investment of 43 billion KRW, including 3 billion KRW from the national government and 40 billion KRW from the city government by 2021.

The detailed spatial composition will include ▲ Forest of Welcome ▲ Mudeungsan Four Seasons Forest ▲ Future Health Forest.

The ‘Forest of Welcome’ will be the first place visitors encounter, featuring a visitor center, exhibition greenhouse, and traditional garden to facilitate meetings among visitors and showcase the charm of the southern region.

The ‘Mudeungsan Four Seasons Forest’ will be developed as a sightseeing and experiential space representing Mudeungsan, with lawns symbolizing Cheonwangbong, Jiwangbong, and Inwangbong peaks, and a southern region-themed garden. Additionally, fragrant, native, and medicinal plant gardens will be introduced to provide a space for healing tired bodies and minds.

The ‘Future Health Forest’ will include a biodiversity research center, gene cultivation center, and nursery to protect plant genes affected by climate change. It will also serve as an educational space to study the ecological value of local tree genes and convey the significance of biodiversity.

Meanwhile, the Gwangju Municipal Arboretum project was initially decided in November 2009 with a scale of 622,672㎡ but was reduced to 246,948㎡ in 2014 due to excessive project costs. Starting from September 2018, cultural heritage trial excavations began, followed by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s project approval notice in 2019, land acquisition, and with the groundbreaking ceremony marking the official start of the project.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.