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[Sports Seoul | Reporter Kang Yoon-sik] A hands-on, cat-centered theme park has opened on Jeju Island. Called Dolkori Forest, the new attraction from Smilegate promises a restorative experience centered on felines.
Smilegate said on the 30th that it has opened Dolkori Forest, an experiential theme park in the Andeok-myeon area of Seogwipo City, Jeju.
Dolkori Forest is a lifestyle-content park that brings together exhibitions, garden walks, art installations and dining. The project repurposes an idle site of roughly 18,000 pyeong (about 14.7 acres) that once hosted the Miniature Country Theme Park.
The park develops a feline narrative: a village decorated by cats that have traveled the world. Its central promise is comfort and respite, using Jeju’s natural setting and the presence of cats as mediators of rest and consolation. The design aims to offer a tranquil refuge for busy, fatigued visitors seeking to recharge.
The name Dolkori Forest fuses the Jeju folktale figure dolko-naeng-i (stone cat) with the village suffix -ri. Rooted in the island’s traditional motif of a guardian spirit, the concept is crafted to feel like a lived-in village, blending Jeju’s landscape and lore with works by contemporary, trend-forward artists.
The layout follows a deliberate \”walk, discover, linger\” flow. Inside the indoor exhibition, Dolkori Village, visitors trace the marks left by five cats—Doldol, Coco, Momo, Chichi and Shasha—and reconnect with a sense of simple happiness.
In the adjoining outdoor Dolkori Garden, visitors can stroll past cat-themed works by Korean and international artists. Herb-scented landscaping and an evocative, slightly exotic atmosphere soothe both sight and scent.
The park offers quaint, cat-scaled attractions — a miniature train, RC boats and a wooden play area. Beneath a roughly 30-year-old tree stands a picnic zone and a small library.
Smilegate says the park will continue to evolve. Visitors can expect additional outdoor sculptures and new cat characters that extend the conceit of feline residents quietly taking over this miniature realm.
Lee Jung-jun, CEO of Smilegate Cat Park Museum, said, \”Now is the time to translate the creative imagination we’ve developed in games into physical spaces,\” adding, \”We’ll expand digital experiences into offline settings to offer a distinctive new form of entertainment.\” skywalker@sportsseoul.com
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