Busan Gijang to Create Korea's Best Urban 'Healing Forest'

Gijang County Office.

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[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yong-woo] A top-level domestic "Healing Forest" themed on healing will be created in the wild fruit tree colony area of Ilgwang New Town, Gijang-gun, Busan.

Oh Gyu-seok, the mayor of Gijang-gun, said, "We plan to develop the entire Samsung Forest, Hudong Forest, and Tteokgok Forest parks in Ilgwang New Town into the best healing space in the country that can be experienced within the city."

Mayor Oh stated, "We will create a wild fruit tree colony that is hard to see in the city, including Dolbaenamu (Korean pear tree), wild baribap tree, meoru tree (wild grapevine), and eu-reum vines with vine tunnels, providing opportunities for nature experiences and guiding visitors to learn about the benefits of plants for healing and experiential learning."

Gijang-gun plans to build a palm mat walking path and a woodcutter's path where visitors can walk on fallen leaves between the forests, and install safety facilities such as CCTV.

The goal is to benchmark urban forests in other regions and develop the Ilgwang New Town Healing Forest as a differentiated, premium healing and health management space.

Gijang-gun will begin the detailed design service in April to develop the Ilgwang New Town park as a "Five Senses Satisfaction Healing Forest" park and will start full-scale construction in May.

Additionally, Gijang-gun plans to plant more phytoncide hinoki cypress trees, a natural antibacterial substance, in Dongbu Neighborhood Park in Gijang-eup and in the county-owned land in Myeongrye, Jangan-eup.

They also plan to plant evergreen trees that emit a lot of carbon around tunnels where exhaust fumes occur, such as in Dongbu Neighborhood Park within the city, to help reduce exhaust fumes and fine dust.

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