Korea Forest Service Selects Wando-gun as Final Site for National Warm-Temperate Forest Arboretum

Aerial view of the National Wando Subtropical Arboretum. Photo by Jeonnam Province

[Muan=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] Wando County, Jeollanam-do, has been finally selected as the site for the Korea National Subtropical Arboretum by the Korea Forest Service.

According to Jeollanam-do on the 28th, from May to November, the ‘Basic Concept and Feasibility Study for the Korea National Subtropical Arboretum’ conducted by Shingu University and Yushin Co., Ltd., specialized arboretum institutions, evaluated Wando highly in terms of natural conditions, forest vegetation, site acquisition, complete infrastructure, and community coexistence.

It is also said that the active response and efforts of Jeollanam-do public officials played a significant role.

This achievement is a great success just two and a half years after Jeonnam Governor Kim Young-rok announced the pledge during his candidacy in 2018 to create an internationally scaled arboretum like Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay in response to the subtropicalization of the Korean Peninsula.

According to the study results, Wando secured project feasibility with a comprehensive score of 94 points, a B/C (economic analysis) of 0.84, and an expected 350,000 visitors.

The Korea National Wando Subtropical Arboretum will be developed as a ‘Living Museum’ by fully preserving the largest and finest subtropical forest on the Korean Peninsula and a primitive subtropical ecological forest with over 770 native plant species.

It will be reborn as an arboretum where subtropical biological resources and specialized scientific education can be provided throughout all four seasons.

The site covers 400 hectares and is composed of five specialized zones: exhibition and viewing area, service and education area, conservation and restoration area, research and support area, and back-up support facilities. A total of 187.2 billion KRW will be invested to build facilities including four-season exhibition greenhouses, climate research facilities (Phytotron), research, education and service buildings, themed exhibition gardens, a monorail, and a visitor center.

To ensure the prompt establishment of the National Subtropical Arboretum, the province plans to actively cooperate with the Korea Forest Service so that the preliminary feasibility study in 2022, basic plan establishment in 2022, and basic and detailed design in 2023 can be carried out on schedule.

In particular, the Korea National Wando Subtropical Arboretum is being promoted as part of Jeollanam-do’s Green New Deal and Blue Economy initiatives.

According to last year’s feasibility study conducted by Jeollanam-do to attract the National Subtropical Arboretum, the economic effect is estimated at 1.2 trillion KRW, and employment inducement at about 17,000 people, expected to serve as a cornerstone for the success of Jeollanam-do’s Green New Deal and Blue Economy.

Wando, selected as the site for the National Subtropical Arboretum, has the largest subtropical forest area in the country, covering 3,456 hectares (35% of the national area).

Additionally, Wando Arboretum is home to over 770 species of subtropical plants such as Rhododendron tashiroi, Castanopsis cuspidata, and Dendropanax morbiferus, and 872 species of animals including legally protected species like otters, leopard cats, common kestrels, and northern brown frogs, maintaining a pristine subtropical forest ecosystem.

Governor Kim said, “We welcome Wando’s selection as the final site for the National Subtropical Arboretum together with 2 million residents of Jeollanam-do,” adding, “We will develop it into the best subtropical arboretum with international status, responding to the subtropicalization of the Korean Peninsula.”

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