'With Companion Dogs' National Recreational Forest Expansion... Hwacheon Forest Camping Site Pilot Operation Next Month

National Hwacheon Forest Camping Site deck view with dogs. Provided by the National Natural Recreation Forest Management Office

[Asia Economy (Daejeon) Reporter Jeong Il-woong] The number of national recreational forests allowing entry with companion dogs is increasing.

The National Natural Recreation Forest Management Office announced on the 26th that starting from the 1st of next month, companion dogs will be allowed at the National Hwacheon Forest Camping Site located in Hwacheon-gun, Gangwon-do.

Entry with companion dogs will initially be piloted at four camping decks. Considering the movement paths of general users and those with companion dogs, the first camping site (decks 1 to 4) will be designated for use with companion dogs, and fences and palm mats will be installed around the camping site to ensure that general users do not feel inconvenienced, according to the plan of the Natural Recreation Forest Management Office.

Previously, to meet the forest recreation demands of customers with companion dogs, the Natural Recreation Forest Management Office reformed various systems related to the use of national natural recreation forests in 2018, promoting regulatory innovation related to companion animals.

In particular, this year, by additionally selecting Hwacheon Forest Camping Site as a recreational forest allowing companion dogs starting next month, companion dog-friendly recreational forests have been established in four regions nationwide. The recreational forests nationwide allowing entry with companion dogs are San-eum, Geommaksan, Cheongwansan, and Hwacheon.

Companion dogs allowed to enter these recreational forests must be ▲registered animals ▲at least 6 months old ▲small to medium-sized dogs weighing 15kg or less ▲have completed rabies vaccination within the past year, and for safety accident prevention, must wear a leash inside the recreational forest.

Lee Young-rok, director of the Natural Recreation Forest Management Office, said, “By gathering opinions from recreational forest users, we will build public consensus on companion dog-friendly recreational forests and create a natural recreational forest environment where all citizens can enjoy leisure and rest.”

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