Seoul Botanic Park Surpasses 20 Million Visitors in 4 Years... "Securing 8,000 Plant Species by 2028"

Matching the Continuous Increase Trend... Expansion of Rare and Specialty Plant Conservation Centers with Education, Exhibitions, and Experiences

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] Seoul Botanic Park announced on the 17th that it surpassed 20 million cumulative visitors on the 10th, exactly four years after its temporary opening on October 11, 2018.

According to Seoul Botanic Park, an average of about 17,000 people visit on weekends and about 12,000 on weekdays, with an average of approximately 413,000 visitors per month. It is also a popular tourist destination for overseas travelers. In particular, since the spread of COVID-19, the number of visitors to the outdoor park area has increased, resulting in an approximately 95% increase in the average monthly number of visitors compared to before the pandemic.

Seoul Botanic Park analyzes that this is due to the increase in the number of research institutes and companies moving into the surrounding area, as well as the growing demand for park use where people can engage in leisure activities while maintaining sufficient social distancing outdoors. Between noon and 1 p.m., it is easy to see office workers enjoying walks along the outdoor park trails, and on weekends, the number of families going on outings has noticeably increased.

Considering the continuous increase in visitors, Seoul Botanic Park plans to continuously expand attractions and activities by creating a conservation area for rare and endemic plants, operating seasonal special exhibition programs, and expanding cultural experience programs. From the perspective of securing plant species diversity, the park is striving to achieve its mid- to long-term goal of increasing the number of plant species it holds from the current approximately 4,600 species to 8,000 species by 2028 through collection, exchange, research, and propagation.

Kim Dae-sung, director of Seoul Botanic Park, said, "Because it is the only place in the city where you can see plants that are difficult to find in urban areas, we are making efforts to lead various plant exhibitions, education, research, and species conservation." He added, "We are preparing to leap forward as a representative botanic park that presents a desirable operational model for domestic botanical gardens and arboretums and stands shoulder to shoulder with world-renowned botanic gardens by spreading plant culture in daily life."

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