Seoul City to Host Online 'Seoul Botanical Garden International Symposium' on October 5

Discussion on the Roles and Directions Required for Seoul Botanical Garden After the COVID-19 Pandemic

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on the 23rd that it will live stream the '2021 Seoul Botanic Park International Symposium,' which discusses the roles and operational directions required for Seoul Botanic Park after the COVID-19 pandemic, on the Seoul Botanic Park YouTube channel on the 5th of next month.

At the studio located in the greenhouse of Seoul Botanic Park, on-site attendees will be minimized to domestic speakers, chairs, and panelists, while overseas speakers and studio attendees from the United States and Singapore will participate via a video conferencing system for a virtual discussion.

Under the theme 'Green Mask in the COVID Era, Seoul Botanic Park,' the event aims to review overseas botanic garden operation trends at the post-COVID point and explore new operational and response plans for Seoul Botanic Park.

First, Felix Loh, Director of Gardens by the Bay in Singapore, will open the symposium with a lecture titled 'Changes in Plant Exhibitions Due to COVID-19.' He plans to discuss cases where changes were made to plant exhibition content following shifts in visitor unit and activity patterns after the COVID-19 outbreak.

Next, Ethan Fenner, Horticulturist at the UC Berkeley Botanic Garden in the United States, will lecture on the benefits visitors receive from plant-created spaces and share UC Berkeley Botanic Garden's rich experiences in education, exhibitions, and research cases. The third speaker, Brian Kemple, Curator at the Ruth Bancroft Garden in the United States, will give a lecture on 'The Psychological Healing Functions and Roles of Botanic Gardens.'

The final speaker, Han Jung-hoon, Director of Seoul Botanic Park, will discuss seeking changes as a space that responds to citizens' lifestyles after COVID-19 and reflect on the increasingly significant roles and values of botanic gardens.

After all lectures, a comprehensive discussion will be held with four domestic and international speakers, chaired by Professor Kim Wan-soon of the University of Seoul. Panelists include former Seoul Botanic Park Director Lee Won-young and Shin Gu University Botanic Garden Director Jeon Jeong-il. They will respond to questions received via real-time comments.

The event can be watched live on the Seoul Botanic Park YouTube channel and will be available for replay on the channel after the event. The Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to actively use online platforms such as SNS and YouTube to allow anyone interested in plants and gardens to enjoy the event and education and to spread plant culture. It will also strengthen Seoul Botanic Park's capabilities through continuous exchanges with leading botanic gardens worldwide.

Han Jung-hoon, Director of Seoul Botanic Park, said, "Although it is regrettable that we cannot meet and discuss in person, we expect broad participation and achievements from people with diverse fields and interests through online participation," and added, "We ask for many views from those who are usually interested in Seoul Botanic Park and plant culture."

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