Gangnam-gu Creates Barrier-Free Sharing Forest for Disabled and Residents in Segok-dong

Gangnam-gu, Seoul (District Mayor Jo Seong-myeong) will hold a completion ceremony on the 28th to transform the forest within the site of the Jae Comprehensive Welfare Center, a social welfare corporation, into a sharing forest where people with disabilities and residents can enjoy together, utilizing 200 million KRW obtained by being selected for a public project by the Korea Forest Welfare Institute.

Soil concrete walkway. Provided by Gangnam-gu.

The project site, Jae Comprehensive Welfare Center, houses eight welfare facilities for people with disabilities, including welfare centers and sheltered workshops, serving about 75 staff members and 330 users. Although the existing forest surrounding these facilities has dense trees, the outdated convenience facilities and unorganized tree planting made it difficult for users to fully utilize the area, necessitating improvements.

The district secured 200 million KRW in project funds after applying last July with Seongmo Sheltered Workshop for the Green Infrastructure Expansion Project supported by the Korea Forest Welfare Institute through lottery funds and being finally selected. With this funding, the district prioritized convenience for people with disabilities and began creating a sharing forest by enhancing the forest’s usability through professional design and construction.

The sharing forest, covering a total area of 4,267㎡, consists of a sharing trail, a small garden, a multipurpose small plaza, a small outdoor performance hall, and a shuttle bus stop shelter. The sharing trail was constructed with soil and concrete without steps, allowing easy access for wheelchair users and those using walking aids. Various trees such as Cornus officinalis, Styrax japonicus, and Hydrangea serrata were planted to provide beautiful scenery throughout the seasons.

The sharing forest will be open as a space for people with developmental disabilities, facility staff, and residents to use together, and will also be utilized for program operations at the welfare facilities for people with disabilities.

District Mayor Jo Seong-myeong stated, “A pleasant walking path connected to Tancheon Stream and parks in Segok-dong has been completed,” adding, “I hope that people with disabilities and residents can interact and harmonize with each other in this communication space connected by the forest.”