[One Day Walk] KAIST Business School Recommends 'Hongneung Arboretum Trail'

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[Asia Economy Reporter Byeon Seon-jin] Members of the KAIST College of Business, located in Hoegi-dong, Dongdaemun-gu, describe this place as a "‘urban oasis’ surrounded by a clean natural environment." Around the campus are the National Institute of Forest Science (Hongneung Arboretum), Hongneung Neighborhood Park, and Kyung Hee University campus. The ginkgo tree-lined road in front of the College of Business is a pleasant tree-lined path called the ‘Hongneung Arboretum Road.’ Nearby, there are about ten government-affiliated research institutes clustered together, including the Defense Research Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Korea Rural Economic Institute, and Korea Development Institute.

Along the road from Anam-dong Korea University to Hoegi-dong Kyung Hee University, right next to the College of Business campus, is the National Institute of Forest Science. Inside it is the Hongneung Arboretum, Korea’s first arboretum, covering an area of 440,000㎡ with numerous native plants planted. The colorful and beautiful flowers evoke the image of a vast garden, and the 2 km walking trail created among the large trees gives a sense of an ‘urban oasis.’

The ‘Forest of Landscape Architects’ is located at the innermost part of the Hongneung Arboretum and is composed of the finest landscaping trees donated by landscaping companies. Walking the arboretum trail takes about 2 km and approximately 1 hour. Since Hongneung Arboretum is a plant research-focused arboretum, on weekdays, visitors can participate in forest interpretation programs with a forest guide by making a prior reservation, while general public free visits are only allowed on weekends. Across from Hongneung Arboretum is the ‘King Sejong Memorial Hall,’ built to commemorate and preserve the virtues and achievements of King Sejong of Joseon. It is a modern building with one basement floor and two above-ground floors, equipped with exhibition rooms, an auditorium, research rooms, and a resource preparation room. The exhibition hall consists of a Hangeul room, science room, traditional Korean music room, biography room, and outdoor exhibits. Also worth visiting is Yeonghwawon, located 5 minutes from the main gate of Hongneung Forest. It is the burial site of Sunheon Gwibi Eom, a concubine of Emperor Gojong (Yeonghwawon), and the tomb of Lee Jin, her grandson who died at 9 months old (Sunginwon).