National Sejong Arboretum Restores Its 'True Form' After 4 Years... Opening in October with Plant and Animal Biodiversity

A panoramic photo of the Korean Traditional Garden (Palace Garden) within the National Sejong Arboretum, created in the central green space of Sejong City. Photo by Korea Forest Service

[Asia Economy (Daejeon) Reporter Jeong Il-woong] The National Sejong Arboretum has taken shape four years after construction began. The opening is scheduled for this October.

According to the Korea Forest Service on the 24th, the National Sejong Arboretum began construction in June 2016 and was completed last month. Located in the central green space of Sejong City, the arboretum was developed with a total project cost of 151.8 billion KRW and will officially open in October.

The Sejong Arboretum, established within the city, spans an area of 65 hectares, equivalent to 90 soccer fields.

In particular, themed exhibition gardens such as the traditional garden showcasing Korean plant culture, bonsai garden, and folk plant garden have been prepared. With the planting of 2,450 species and over 1.1 million plants, visitors will be able to experience a diverse range of plants all in one place after the opening.

Additionally, the Korea Forest Service explains that the National Sejong Arboretum’s distinguishing features compared to other arboretums include the largest plant exhibition greenhouse in the country, enabling year-round visits even in winter, and the creation of the Cheongryu Stream (2.4 km), an artificial waterway using Geumgang water, which not only creates various waterside spaces but also serves as a habitat for diverse organisms.

Currently, final preparations for the opening are underway, and from next month, the Korea Arboretum Management Service, a public institution, will be entrusted with management and operation.

Park Jong-ho, head of the Korea Forest Service, said, “Starting with the basic plan in 2012, the Sejong Arboretum is now taking shape as of last month. When the Sejong Arboretum opens to the public this October, I hope it will contribute to regional development internally and establish itself externally as a premium arboretum that people around the world want to visit at least once in the new Korean Wave era.”

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