Jinju Successfully Concludes Korea Garden Industry Expo

Over 30,000 Visitors Per Day on Average During the Expo

A ten-day miracle where gardens embraced the city. The 2025 Korea Garden Industry Expo in Jinju concluded its grand finale on the 22nd at Chojon Park and the Forest of Wolasan in Jinju.

Since its opening on the 13th, the event surpassed 200,000 visitors in just five days. By the 21st, more than 337,000 people had attended, with an average of over 30,000 visitors per day, demonstrating nationwide interest and enthusiasm. Once big data analysis is complete, the final visitor count is expected to increase further.

This expo went beyond a simple exhibition; it was a site where Jinju, the 'city within a garden,' came to life, blending the development of garden culture, the vision of the industry, and the inspiration of citizen participation.

2025 Korea Garden Industry Expo in Jinju

The diverse and creative works presented by Korea's top garden artists received enthusiastic responses from visitors. The six gardens showcased at the Korea Garden Show transcended mere form, emerging as spatial art infused with emotion and stories, drawing admiration from attendees.

At the 'Garden Industry Exhibition,' visitors could gain a comprehensive overview of the entire industry, including landscaping materials, plant resources, and garden supplies. The exhibition, which combined both practicality and industrial value, showcased both the present and future of the garden industry.

The 'Citizen Participation Gardens' also attracted significant attention. The citizen-created works, notable for their creativity, inspired confidence that anyone could become a garden designer and resonated strongly with visitors. Garden experience events, performances, and concerts set against the backdrop of Chojon Park offered a true model of a participatory festival where citizens were the main protagonists.

In particular, the 'Companion Gardens,' created in collaboration with institutions and companies, received high praise from citizens. The 'Companion Gardens' were established to promote the spread of garden culture and the practice of ESG management, with participation from the Seoul Metropolitan Government, Korea South-East Power Co., Korea Land & Housing Corporation (LH), Hanbando Co., and Yewon Landscape Construction Co. Each organization created a garden reflecting its own vision and values. Through these gardens, citizens were able to visually experience a range of themes, including urban recovery, sustainable energy, and the balance between city and nature.

At night, the garden landscape lighting offered a new sense of wonder. The nightscape of Chojon Park, where light, nature, and music harmonized, spread nationwide through social media and became established as a new nightscape attraction, with reactions such as "It was beautiful enough to touch the heart."

As families, couples, and friends walked together, took photos, and strolled through the gardens, each scene became part of the emotional city image of Jinju, leaving a deep impression on the hearts of both citizens and visitors.

This expo was further enriched by a variety of conferences that spanned both the cultural insights and industrial future of gardens. The International Garden Symposium brought together experts from the United Kingdom, Singapore, the United States, and Korea to lead global garden discourse. Industry-focused conferences such as the 'Garden Material Industry Vision Forum' and 'The Season of Hydrangeas: Discussing the Garden Industry' provided in-depth discussions on the overall garden industry.

2025 Korea Garden Industry Expo in Jinju

Additionally, lectures by a diverse group of speakers, including Professor Yoo Hongjun, Park Gongyoung (Chairman of Wooriseed), garden designer Hwang Jihae, and actress Hwang Seokjeong, broadened perspectives on gardens. The 'Garden Talk Concert under the Moonlight,' joined by Mayor Cho Kyu-il, became a genuine space for communication with citizens. The garden roundtable led by Lee Jin-ho, CEO of Delicious Garden, not only presented a vision for the garden industry but also offered a special moment of connection with citizens.

The most outstanding protagonists of this expo were the citizens of Jinju. Citizen gardeners created the 'Citizen Gardener Village,' reinterpreting city alleys as gardens. During the expo, they operated garden tours and interpretation programs, providing visitors with a living garden experience.

From garden interpretation and plant management to spatial storytelling, every aspect was enhanced by citizens' hands, and the dedication of volunteers became a strong pillar supporting the stable operation of the expo and the future of Jinju as a garden city.

Mayor Cho Kyu-il emphasized, "A garden is a living space that connects people, cities, and communities," and added, "Through this expo, we have confirmed the potential for gardens to drive urban growth."

He also stated, "We will continue our efforts to ensure that Jinju stands tall as a leading city in Korea's garden culture and industry."

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