[Jo Yongjun's Journey Manli] Into the Unseasonal Lush Greenery

Cradle of Rare Native Plants in Odaesan
Seoul Botanic Park Dressed in Green All Year Round
Sinan 1004 Islands Filled with Red Aegidongsan Flowers

Sinan-1004 Islands Bonsai Garden's Baby Camellia Forest Path

Seoul Botanic Park, emitting deep green hues all year round

Hadong Seomjingang and Songrim

The National Institute of Ecology, popular as a photo zone

There is a place that remains lush and green even in the freezing and bleak winter. It is a place where you can enjoy a green-hued journey, reveling in the vibrant vitality of nature's ecosystem. There are forests created to protect villages and farms from sea breezes and sandstorms coming from the Seomjin River, and by simply opening a door, you can enter a warm environment filled with green plants. Coincidentally, the Korea Tourism Organization has also selected winter travel destinations full of fresh greenery as its first recommended travel spots of the new year. ▲Cradle of native rare indigenous plants, National Institute of Biological Resources (Pyeongchang, Gangwon) ▲A green journey defying the seasons, National Institute of Ecology & Janghang Pine Forest Forest Bathing Area (Seocheon, Chungnam) ▲A forest imbued with the benevolent spirit of a devoted local official, Hadong Pine Forest (Hadong, Gyeongnam) ▲1004 Islands Bonsai Garden full of red baby camellias (Sinan, Jeonnam) ▲Year-round greenery, Seoul Botanic Park (Gangseo, Seoul) ? a total of five places.

#Pyeongchang - Cradle of native rare indigenous plants, National Institute of Biological Resources

Pyeongchang National Korean Native Plant Garden Secret Garden

Located within the Odaesan forest, the National Institute of Biological Resources is a botanical garden composed exclusively of plants native to Korea, excluding foreign species. In 1999, Director Kim Chang-yeol established and nurtured it as a private botanical garden, then donated it to the Korea Forest Service in 2021 on the condition that it be operated as a botanical garden for at least 100 years. It opened in its current form in July 2024. The fact that it is designated by the Ministry of Environment as a conservation institution for habitats of endangered wild plants and by the Korea Forest Service as a national rare and endemic species conservation institution speaks to the value of the National Institute of Biological Resources. The garden consists of seven diverse outdoor spaces, including a rare plant garden, endemic plant garden, and group gardens. In autumn, wildflower colonies such as Danyang Aster and Korean Aster create a spectacular view. Especially in winter, visitors can enjoy a cup of tea amidst snowy scenery. Educational programs at the visitor center offer experiences like pottery crafting, and visitors can enjoy reading from a collection of about 20,000 books housed in the forest library. The lobby, decorated with reclaimed wood, and the cozy caf? space provide visitors with peaceful moments accompanied by warm beverages offered free of charge only during winter.

Various tourist attractions surround the botanical garden. Woljeongsa Cultural Heritage Museum houses over 4,000 national treasures, including the national treasure stone seated Bodhisattva statue and wooden seated Manjusri statue, and offers exhibitions of Buddhist paintings and media art. At Odaesan Natural Meditation Village, visitors can find peace of mind through digital detox and meditation experiences, and enjoy nature by walking along the fir forest trail. The temple stay at Woljeongsa Temple, with its 1,300-year history, offers opportunities to heal body and mind. The Odaesan area, where the National Institute of Biological Resources is located, allows visitors to enjoy Korea’s unique nature and vitality even in winter.

#Seocheon - A green journey defying the seasons, National Institute of Ecology & Janghang Pine Forest Forest Bathing Area

Janghang Pine Forest Sanatorium Beautifully Harmonized with Mudflats and Coastal Pine Forests

Situated in Seocheon, a treasure trove of biodiversity, the National Institute of Ecology was established to conduct research, surveys, education, and exhibitions for ecosystem conservation, with its representative facility being the Ecorium. The core exhibition of the Ecorium is the Five Climate Zones Pavilion, consisting of Tropical, Desert, Mediterranean, Temperate, and Polar zones. The Tropical Pavilion, housed in a greenhouse of about 3,000㎡, features mysterious attractions such as the world’s largest freshwater fish, the pirarucu, and a curtain ivy tunnel reminiscent of the movie “Avatar.” The Desert Pavilion captivates visitors with adorable desert foxes and black-tailed prairie dogs, while the Mediterranean Pavilion showcases baobab trees and carnivorous plants. In the Temperate Pavilion, visitors can explore Jeju’s Gotjawal forest, and in the Polar Pavilion, meet penguins native to Antarctica and the Arctic.

The evergreen Janghang Pine Forest Forest Bathing Area can be enjoyed year-round and offers the chance to visit the Seocheon mudflats, a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site, along with the 15-meter-high Janghang Skywalk.

The National Institute of Ecology operates from 9:30 AM to 5 PM during winter and is closed on Mondays. Admission is 5,000 KRW for adults, and ecological interpretation programs are available. The Janghang Pine Forest Forest Bathing Area is free to enter year-round, but the Janghang Skywalk charges an admission fee (4,000 KRW, with 2,000 KRW refunded as local gift certificates).

For a perfect winter trip in Seocheon, visitors can also explore the National Marine Biodiversity Institute of Korea’s exhibition hall, SeaQrium, a retro-style Janghang 6080 Food Alley called Matnaro, and the Geumgang Estuary Bank, a representative domestic migratory bird habitat where the Geum River meets the West Sea.

#Hadong - A forest imbued with the benevolent spirit of a devoted local official, Hadong Pine Forest

A traveler is walking along the forest path of Hadong Songrim filled with pine needles.

Hadong Pine Forest, located in Hadong County, Gyeongsangnam-do, is an artificial forest created in 1745 (the 21st year of King Yeongjo of the Joseon Dynasty) by Jeon Cheonsang, the governor of Hadong. It is said to have been established to protect villages and farms from sea breezes and sandstorms coming from the Seomjin River. Currently, about 900 pine trees grow here, including successor trees (genetically identical to natural monuments) and pines donated by local residents. Centered around Hadong Pine Forest, Songrim Park has been developed, where visitors can freely admire the beautiful evergreen pine trees year-round. Alongside Songrim Park flows the Seomjin River, which naturally forms sandy beaches worth visiting. Nearby, a walking trail made from the abandoned old Gyeongjeon Line railway is available, and visitors can even walk on the old Gyeongjeon railway bridge.

Hadong County’s charm in the dead of winter does not end here. The Choi Champan House, built as a set for the drama adaptation of the novel “Toji,” is a popular spot offering panoramic views of the Agyang Plain. The scenery blending the plain, Seomjin River, and Sobaek Mountain Range can be more closely appreciated from Starway Hadong. Tea plantations boasting green leaves year-round are scattered throughout Hwagae-myeon. Experience Hadong’s wild tea culture at the Hadong Wild Tea Culture Center.

#Sinan - 1004 Islands Bonsai Garden full of red baby camellias

Sinan 1004 Islands Bonsai Garden Baby Camellia Forest Trail

The 1004 Islands Bonsai Garden is located where the terrain of Aphaedo extends westward. It features a bonsai garden, a small arboretum, a flower garden, a Shona sculpture garden, and a baby camellia forest trail. The baby camellias at the 1004 Islands Bonsai Garden number over 20,000 trees. Each tree blooms about 2,000 baby camellia flowers, and in warm years, up to 40 million camellia flowers bloom across the entire garden. Besides the baby camellia forest trail, there are many places to enjoy within the garden. The Shona Sculpture Garden is an outdoor exhibition space displaying about 120 sculptures created by the Shona people. The Sunlight Pond area and Baby Camellia Caf? offer spots to rest while walking through the garden. The Rock Garden evokes a miniature natural landscape. The Crape Myrtle Garden was created with crape myrtles donated from Deokrim-ri village in Naju, planted about 200 years ago. True to its name, the most popular course in the 1004 Islands Bonsai Garden is the bonsai garden itself. The Evening Glow Art Museum exhibits several works donated by artist Park Yong-gyu, including “Geumgangsan Manmulsang,” “Yugok,” and “Chulga.”

If you plan to return home via KTX, it’s worth visiting a few more nearby attractions around Mokpo Station. Mokpo Modern History Museum 1 is a building constructed during the Japanese colonial period as a consulate and now exhibits materials related to the modern history of Mokpo and Mokpo Port. The Mokpo Popular Music Hall showcases various singers representing Mokpo and related popular music materials.

#Seoul - Year-round greenery, Seoul Botanic Park

Colorful orchids are bringing life to the greenhouse.

Seoul Botanic Park is the closest urban botanical garden to a subway station, located adjacent to Magongnaru Station on Seoul Subway Line 9 and the Airport Railroad. Built on what was Seoul’s last farmland in the Gangseo Magok district, amidst a forest of buildings, the park spans an area equivalent to 70 soccer fields. Seoul Botanic Park is divided into four zones: Open Forest with wide lawns, Circular Walkway and Lake Garden, Wetland Garden which is a bird sanctuary, and Theme Garden including themed gardens and a greenhouse. The greenhouse offers a warm environment like summer all year round, where visitors can meet green plants by simply opening a door. Walking along the course connecting tropical and Mediterranean urban zones feels like traveling the world, showcasing diverse plants. Palm trees stretch up to the greenhouse’s maximum height of 25 meters, olive trees sparkle under warm sunlight, and baobab trees standing strong for over 2,000 years grow alongside about 1,000 other species. From the approximately 8-meter-high skywalk, visitors can greet tall tropical plants at eye level. Don’t miss the “Winter Festival,” running until February 2025, featuring rare orchids and winter fairies made from branches. The Seed Library, where you can borrow seeds, grow plants, and return seeds, the Garden Support Center answering plant-growing questions, and a gift shop selling plants in small pots are also worth visiting.

Within a 10-minute walk from Seoul Botanic Park is the Gyeomjae Jeongseon Art Museum, exhibiting works by Jeongseon, a late Joseon Dynasty painter who served as Yangcheon magistrate (now Gangseo District Mayor) and expanded the scope of true-view landscape painting. Also visit the Heo Jun Museum, showcasing the life and traditional Korean medicine materials of Heo Jun, born in Gangseo District. The great achievement of the UNESCO Memory of the World registered “Donguibogam” leaves a profound impression. Nearby, the National Aviation Museum offers not only aviation information but also various experiences such as pilot and air traffic control simulations. The observatory provides unforgettable views of aircraft taking off and landing on the runways of Gimpo International Airport.