[Seoul District News] KT Takes Charge of Complex Administrative Procedures for Creating Forests in Jongno-gu, Opens Office Site and Covers Costs; Plants 100,000 Trees and Flowers of 52 Species on KT Gwanghwamun EAST Office Land and Nearby Public Land to Build a Citizen Rest Area
[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] A citizen rest area where people can take a mental break has been created in the Gwanghwamun area, densely packed with concrete buildings.
This is the 'Junghakcheon Urban Forest,' born from the efforts of Jongno-gu (District Mayor Jeong Munheon) to expand urban green spaces and the social contribution commitment of KT Corporation.
After signing a business agreement with KT in May, the district planted over 100,000 trees and flowers of 52 species on 6,110㎡ of land including KT’s Gwanghwamun EAST building site and nearby public land, and built citizen rest areas reflecting the characteristics of each space, opening it in August.
Jongno-gu took charge of the complex administrative procedures involved in forest creation and provided public land, while KT not only opened its building site but also fully covered the construction costs and will handle future maintenance.
This is noteworthy as a case where public and private sectors cooperated to plant trees and open private land around Gwanghwamun Station on Subway Line 5, where quantitative expansion of urban green space is difficult, thus breathing life into the city.
The Junghakcheon Urban Forest consists of seven spaces. In the ‘Wind Garden’ using wind screens, visitors can enjoy the scenery and sounds created by the wind. A leftover space planted with a huge hackberry tree, rarely seen in the city, provides shade for pedestrians to escape the blazing sun.
The ‘Sky Garden,’ planted with distinctive flowers above the underground parking lot of the building and equipped with wooden decks to improve walking convenience, is the highlight of Junghakcheon Urban Forest. Subtle lighting is installed here to allow appreciation of the beautiful cityscape even at night.
Additionally, there are various spaces where nearby office workers and domestic and international visitors to Gwanghwamun can leave memories, including a willow forest path reflecting Junghakcheon’s historical significance, an Ipop tree forest path to enhance the sense of greenery on public sidewalks, and a crape myrtle forest path notable for its beautiful flowers and rich foliage.
District Mayor Jeong Munheon stated, “This is a case of green space creation completed by adding private sector will to public efforts,” and added, “We will continue to strive to expand green spaces that breathe life into the city center, which was densely packed with buildings and cars, and improve residents’ quality of life.”
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