Discover the Healing Power of Nature: Weekly Cultural Programs at Korean Gardens and Arboretums

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[iNews24 Reporter Kim Dong-hyun] The Korea Forest Service is bringing Culture Day to life — on Wednesdays, arboretums and gardens across the country will host a lively mix of cultural programs.

On the 8th, the agency announced plans to roll out garden workshops, live performances, forest activities and special “Cultural Forest” invites as part of the expanded weekly Culture Day lineup.

The initiative is meant to broaden public access to culture and reposition arboretums and gardens as community hubs and restorative spaces — not just places for display — helping stimulate local economies along the way.

For instance, Jwagwangcheon Provincial Park in Gijang, Busan, will host a two-hour Garden Experience pop-up every Wednesday starting at 10 a.m. At Bongsusan Arboretum in Chungnam, families can take part in Children’s Forest Interpretation and other forest-guided programs each Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

In Yeongwol, Gangwon Province, Dongsegang Garden will stage performances every other Wednesday beginning at 10 a.m. for roughly two hours. A similar schedule is planned for the Gyeongbuk Millennium Forest Garden in Gyeongju. Notably, the National Garden Cultural Center in Jeonnam is offering its scent-themed program, Narrative of Scent, daily rather than only on Wednesdays.

Even around the Seoul metropolitan area, visitors can dive into experiences like the Arboretum Interpretation Program at the National Arboretum in Pocheon, the Wednesday Docent program at The Garden of Morning Calm in Gapyeong, and Our Botanical Garden at Shingu University Botanical Garden in Seongnam.

The Korea Forest Service is also including select arboretums and gardens in its Half-Price Travel program to boost regional economies, improve access to culture and tourism, and promote garden culture more broadly.

Sites participating in the Half-Price Travel program include the National Korean Native Plant Garden in Pyeongchang, Gangwon; The Block in Jecheon, Chungbuk; Hadamjeong in Goheung, Jeonnam; Mom’s Garden in Miryang, Gyeongnam; Dalisil Garden in Geochang, Gyeongnam; and Saesil Garden in Yeongam, Jeonnam.

The Korea Arboretum and Garden Management Service, an affiliate of the Korea Forest Service, is also running events that hand out various souvenirs to visitors who stop by participating arboretums and gardens.

“By expanding Culture Day, we hope arboretums and gardens will become places that help heal everyday life,” said Choi Hyun-soo, head of the Arboretum and Garden Policy Division at the Korea Forest Service. “We’ll strengthen their role as local tourism assets through diverse programming and active promotion.”