Saryeoni Forest Trail in Jeju Officially Designated as Symbol of Korea-Arab Friendship

Naming Ceremony Held for the "Korea-Arab Friendship Trail"
Governor Oh Younghoon: "Looking Forward to Enhanced Cooperation with the Arab World"

At the naming ceremony held as a diplomatic and cultural event linked to the 2025 Jeju Forum, 10 Arab ambassadors to Korea, Kim Changmo Secretary General of the Korea-Arab Society, Jung Byungwon Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yoichi Ikeda Consul General of Japan in Jeju, and other key figures, along with Oh Younghoon Governor of Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, are taking a commemorative photo. Provided by Jeju Province

Saryeoni Forest Trail, one of Jeju's most iconic healing destinations, has been officially designated as a symbol of friendship between Korea and the Arab world, marking a significant step forward in promoting exchange and cooperation with Arab countries.

On the morning of the 30th, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province announced that it held a naming ceremony for the "Korea-Arab Friendship Trail" at Saryeoni Forest Trail, where the opening ceremony of the 17th Saryeoni Eco-Healing Experience Event took place.

This naming ceremony, held as a diplomatic and cultural event in connection with the 2025 Jeju Forum, was attended by 10 Arab ambassadors to Korea, Kim Changmo Secretary General of the Korea-Arab Society, Jung Byungwon Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yoichi Ikeda Consul General of Japan in Jeju, and other key figures.

Visited by 800,000 people annually, Saryeoni Forest Trail is the seventh section of the Hallasan Dulle-gil. Since being designated as a beautiful forest trail at the 2017 National Beautiful Forest Competition, it has swept various awards and established itself as a leading eco-tourism destination in Jeju.

This event was held in a unique format called "diplomacy in the forest." Jeju Province, the only local government that is a full member and board institution of the Korea-Arab Society, presented a new model for local diplomacy.

On this day, Jeju Province, together with the Korea-Arab Society, officially designated Saryeoni Forest Trail as the "Friendship Trail" symbolizing Korea-Arab friendship and declared the establishment of a sustainable cooperation base between the two sides.

Participants walked along Saryeoni Forest Trail, experiencing Jeju's natural healing power and sharing friendship between Korea and the Arab world. Notably, this trail is affectionately called "AKH" (Arab-Korea Harmony), which also means "brother" in Arabic.

Through this event, Jeju Province demonstrated new possibilities for local diplomacy. Going forward, the province plans to pursue practical cooperation projects with Arab countries in a wide range of fields, including tourism, environment, forestry, and youth exchange. In particular, Jeju aims to develop Saryeoni Forest Trail as a sustainable hub for exchange by linking it to the values of peace and solidarity promoted by the Jeju Forum.

Previously, on the 29th, Governor Oh Younghoon held talks with the Arab diplomatic corps in Korea at the Jeju International Convention Center, where the 2025 Jeju Forum was being held, and discussed ways to expand exchange and cooperation.

During the meeting, Governor Oh Younghoon shared his experience visiting Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates last year and highlighted the similarities between Jeju's haenyeo culture and the Arab tradition of pearl diving. He expressed hope that the naming ceremony for the "Korea-Arab Friendship Trail" would serve as a symbolic milestone, leading to exchanges and cooperation between Jeju and Arab local governments in various fields.

In response, Abdullah Al Nuaimi, UAE Ambassador to Korea, stated, "The designation of this Friendship Trail will serve to further strengthen the relationship between the Arab world and Jeju. Jeju's environmentally friendly and sustainable values also send a meaningful message to Arab countries."

The Arab ambassadors to Korea agreed on the need to expand practical cooperation and expressed their willingness to promote various exchange projects in the fields of culture, tourism, and environment. They also offered suggestions for improving Jeju's nighttime tourism infrastructure.

This meeting served as an opportunity to lay the foundation for friendship and practical cooperation between Jeju and Arab countries, and it is expected to lead to various joint projects in the future.