[Photo] Chaehyunil, Yeongdeungpo District Mayor, Plants 200 Yeongsanhong Azaleas in Mullae Neighborhood Park

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Yeongdeungpo-gu (District Mayor Chae Hyun-il) planted trees on the 5th to convey a message of hope to residents to overcome the crisis caused by COVID-19 together.

In order to participate in ‘social distancing,’ the district canceled the planned tree-planting event for Arbor Day (the 5th) this year and instead planted 200 new Rhododendron simsii plants at Mullae Neighborhood Park (66 Mullae-dong 3-ga).

The flower language of Rhododendron simsii is ‘hope,’ and this initiative was taken to deliver a message of hope that everyone should unite and overcome COVID-19 together at Mullae Neighborhood Park, a place frequented by many residents.

At around 10 a.m. on the 5th, Yeongdeungpo-gu Mayor Chae Hyun-il dug the ground and planted Rhododendron simsii trees together with three families and youths living in Mullae-dong, and completed watering the trees to help them grow well.

Going forward, the district will focus on continuous maintenance such as watering, weeding, and replanting damaged trees to create a better living environment for residents.

The district is leading the ‘social distancing’ campaign to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the community and is conducting a ‘pause’ campaign along with ‘spring flower distancing.’

Following the complete cancellation of Yeongdeungpo’s representative festival, the ‘Yeouido Spring Flower Festival,’ the district has started controlling the spring flower paths on Yeouiseo-ro, implementing pedestrian restrictions until the 10th and traffic restrictions until the 11th.

Additionally, the district has canceled several other local festivals held in spring and is controlling crowds on the Anyangcheon embankment walking trail to prioritize the health and safety of residents.

Yeongdeungpo-gu Mayor Chae Hyun-il said, “In this difficult situation caused by COVID-19, we planted Rhododendron simsii, a tree symbolizing hope,” and added, “I hope that residents visiting Mullae Neighborhood Park will see the beautifully blooming Rhododendron simsii and have hope that we can overcome this crisis.”