Gumi-si Jisan Saetgang Awarded 'Model City Forest No.1' Plaque... The Wannabe of Forests Nationwide

Korea's Representative Model Urban Forest... Selected as the First in 2024

Following 'Indong Urban Forest Daewang Oak Tree Street,' Second Consecutive Year

On the 17th, Gumi City in Gyeongbuk held the ‘2024 Korea Forest Service Model Urban Forest Certification Plaque Ceremony’ at Jisan Saetgang Ecological Park.

Jisan Saetgang Ecological Park Model City Forest Plaque. Provided by Gumi City

The event was attended by about 10 people, including members of the Jisan Saetgang Ecological Conservation Association (Chairman An Gang-ho) and the Director of the Environment and Transportation Bureau, to celebrate the achievement.

The Korea Forest Service Model Urban Forest Certification is a system where the Korea Forest Service Commissioner certifies urban forests in Korea that have been exemplary in creation and management. Implemented since 2022, this system determines certification through a three-step process: first document screening, second on-site inspection, and third final evaluation.

This year, a total of five sites were certified nationwide, including four urban forests and one roadside tree site. Jisan Saetgang Ecological Park was honored as the first certified site in the urban forest category for 2024. Following last year’s certification of the ‘Indong Urban Forest Great Oak Road,’ Gumi City has proven its excellence in urban forest creation and management for two consecutive years.

Jisan Saetgang Ecological Park features a 3.4 km cherry blossom walking trail along the Saetgang stream. It boasts distinctive scenery throughout the four seasons: cherry blossoms in spring, lotus flowers in summer, silver grass in autumn, and as a habitat for the whooper swan (Natural Monument No. 201-2) in winter.

To maximize the park’s appeal, Gumi City installed a loess barefoot trail along the walking path and added landscape lighting under the cherry trees starting last year. Unique lights shaped like dandelions and crescent moons were also installed to attract visitors’ attention.

Additionally, to actively promote the whooper swan, large sculptures of a male and female whooper swan were installed in the park plaza, and through a public contest, the characters were named ‘Jisani and Saetgangi.’ An unmanned caf? called ‘Whooper Bucks’ was set up in the plaza to provide convenience, establishing the park as a new local tourist attraction. In October this year, the trademark and design rights were registered with the Korean Intellectual Property Office to widely promote the park’s originality and value.

Swan Sculpture.

Thanks to this success, Jisan Saetgang Ecological Park has attracted nationwide attention, with other local governments such as Haeundae-gu in Busan, Daegu City, Gyeongbuk Province, Jeongseon County, Sangju City, Cheongsong County, and Uiseong County visiting for benchmarking purposes.

Mayor Kim Jang-ho said, “We are very pleased that Jisan Saetgang Ecological Park has been recognized as a model urban forest representing Korea,” and added, “We will continue systematic management to develop it into a nationally representative healing spot that attracts tourists from all over the country.”