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The 11th Seoul International Garden Expo kicked off on May 1 and drew about 306,500 visitors on opening day — the biggest single-day turnout in the event’s history and roughly 1.7 times the 183,448 who attended last year’s opening at Boramae Park.
On May 2, Seoul city officials reported that counters at the venues recorded 251,813 visitors at Seoul Forest and 54,735 at Seongsu Handmade Shoe Park. Including visitors to the small gardens near the main venue — a highlight of this year’s expo — the overall number climbs even higher.
On the first day of the May holiday weekend, locals and many international guests flocked to Seoul Forest, the Han River area and Seongsu to experience the expo. They explored 167 gardens spread across 90,000 m² (about 968,750 sq ft / roughly 22.2 acres) and filled leisure spaces like lawns and picnic areas, turning the site into a lively festival ground.
The biggest draws were the character pop-up gardens — especially the Pokémon Garden and the Kakao Garden. Around 10 a.m. on opening day, Pokémon Korea ran a linked “stamp rally” between a Seongsu pop-up and the Pokémon garden in Seoul Forest, which attracted huge crowds.
For safety reasons, Pokémon Korea and the city agreed to suspend the event around 11:50 a.m. Organizers announced the early closure through official channels and said they will deliver the planned giveaways to all participants via an online application.
Other popular offerings included garden-plant and supplies sales as part of the Garden Industry Fair, unique camping experiences, a photogenic rose garden, horseback riding hosted by the Korea Racing Authority, and docent-led tours — all of which continued to draw visitors.
The Seoro Market, selling regional agricultural specialties, and 30 food trucks were bustling throughout the day. Several restaurants around Seoul Forest reported running out of ingredients because of the crowds.
“The 2026 Seoul International Garden Expo will run for 180 days and is expected to welcome many domestic and international visitors, so we will put safety first and manage the event carefully and thoroughly,” said Kim Young-hwan, director of Seoul’s Garden City Bureau. “We will avoid short-term events that concentrate large crowds and instead expand garden tours and hands-on programs so citizens can enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of the gardens.”
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