Semiwon, Countdown to National Garden Status... Yangpyeong-gun Leaps Forward as a Global Garden City

Semiwon Embarks on the Path to Becoming a National Garden, Embracing Dumulmeori
Full-scale Facility Improvements Planned for Semiwon Area by September
Expansion to Include Dumulmeori and Gajeongcheon Areas to Meet Size Requirements
Eighth Local Administration Launches Master Plan for National Garden Status

Semiwon, the first local garden in Gyeonggi Province, is preparing to leap forward as a national garden, with related procedures being finalized one by one. Yangpyeong-gun plans to transform into a global garden tourism city centered around Semiwon and Dumulmeori.

Signing ceremony of the business agreement between Korea National Arboretum and Yangpyeong County. Provided by Yangpyeong County

Yangpyeong-gun announced on the 7th that it will carry out a facility improvement project for the entire front area of Semiwon, covering 14,000㎡, by September. This project aims to resolve residents' inconveniences caused by the aging of Semiwon's parking lot and entrance, and to create an open entrance plaza and rest facilities to be used as a multipurpose green space, with a project cost of 6 billion KRW including provincial funds.

Additionally, the county plans to expand the garden area to approximately 600,000㎡ by incorporating the Dumulmeori Ecological Learning Center site and the Gajeongcheon area by 2027, meeting the national garden area requirement of 300,000㎡.

Semiwon is a garden of about 127,000㎡ located in Yangsu-ri, Yangpyeong-gun, designated as Korea's first local garden in 2019. It is one of Yangpyeong's representative tourist destinations, rich in aquatic plants such as lotus flowers, herbaceous plants, and woody plants. Furthermore, Dumulmeori, where the Bukhan River flowing from Geumgangsan and the Namhan River originating from Geomryongso in Gangwon-do merge, boasts scenic views that change beautifully through the four seasons. It has been selected seven consecutive times as one of Korea's Top 100 Tourist Attractions, maintaining its reputation as a representative tourist destination in the metropolitan area.

However, Semiwon and Dumulmeori are operated annually with revenue from admission fees and county subsidies, requiring significant budget to accommodate over 1.8 million visitors each year. To address this, upgrading to a national garden status is necessary to receive national funding for garden management.

Upon the launch of the 8th local government administration, Yangpyeong-gun established a master plan for Semiwon's elevation to a national garden, commissioning the 'Study on Strategy and Roadmap for Designating Semiwon as a National Garden' and forming a dedicated national garden task force of about 20 members. They also signed a business agreement with the Korea Arboretum and Garden Management Institute for the exchange of plant resources and technical information to promote garden culture.

Lotus flowers at Saemiwon. Provided by Yangpyeong-gun

Moreover, the county legislated ordinances regulating various matters related to Semiwon to establish clear grounds for operation and strengthen internal stability. In May last year, they held a reopening ceremony for the Semiwon Baedari, the nation's first and largest traditional floating bridge, restored to connect Semiwon and Dumulmeori, embodying King Jeongjo's filial piety and scholar Jeong Yak-yong's wisdom. In September, the Dumulmeori Music Festival, symbolizing the geographical and historical significance of the confluence of the Namhan and Bukhan Rivers and expressing hopes for reunification and harmony, was successfully held with enthusiastic responses from about 2,000 spectators. Through this, the attractive features of Dumulmeori and Semiwon were promoted, laying the foundation for the national garden initiative.

Additionally, at the end of last year, Semiwon was selected as the venue for the 14th Gyeonggi Garden Culture Expo to be held in 2026, receiving excellent evaluations from Gyeonggi Province for its total of 59 garden infrastructures, training of 190 citizen gardeners, and enactment of self-governing ordinances for operation. This achievement is attributed to the 8th local government administration prioritizing this project as a core policy and implementing organizational reforms.

According to the previously completed feasibility study on national garden designation, if Semiwon is upgraded to a national garden, it is expected to have a regional economic ripple effect of approximately 1.2207 trillion KRW. Recently, National Assembly member Kim Seon-gyo (Yeoju·Yangpyeong) supported the activation of regional garden tourism by hosting the 'Korea Public Garden Photo Exhibition' at the National Assembly. The national garden project is expected to get on track soon through amendments to enforcement ordinances.

Jeon Jin-seon, the county governor, attending the opening ceremony of Saemiwon Baedari. Provided by Yangpyeong County

County Governor Jeon Jin-seon said, “The 2026 Gyeonggi Garden Culture Expo will be held at Semiwon and Dumulmeori. Along with the Garden Industry Exhibition and garden symposiums, various garden works will be displayed to create an expo where nature and people harmonize.” He added, “We will focus all administrative efforts to have Semiwon designated as the first national garden in the metropolitan area and to help Yangpyeong rise as the best garden city in the country.”