Yongsan District Decorates ‘Seoul Underground Forest Path’ at Samgakji and Noksapyeong Stations for Christmas

Subway Indoor Gardens Brimming with Year-End Festivity

Yongsan District in Seoul (District Mayor Park Heeyoung) announced on November 24 that it has redecorated the ‘Seoul Underground Forest Path’ at Samgakji Station and Noksapyeong Station on Subway Line 6 with a Christmas theme ahead of the holiday season.

Christmas photo stage (photo zone) space at Samgakji Station. Provided by Yongsan District.

The ‘Seoul Underground Forest Path’ is an indoor garden created by utilizing unused spaces within subway stations, providing a place where people can relax and experience nature in the heart of the city.

Since last year, the district has been operating a total of 540 square meters of ‘Seoul Underground Forest Path’ in collaboration with Seoul Metro, located on the first basement level near exits 11 and 12 of Samgakji Station and at the entrance to the ticket gates on the fourth basement level of Noksapyeong Station. For this year-end season, both stations have been adorned with golden ornaments and velvet ribbons, and red poinsettias-symbolic of winter-have been placed throughout to further enhance the Christmas atmosphere.

Residents and visitors using the subway stations can take commemorative Christmas photos amid dazzling lights and decorative plants, enjoying the warmth of the holiday season. The district plans to continue updating the theme and improving the landscaping and visual elements in line with seasonal changes, with the aim of maintaining and expanding the indoor gardens so people can feel the vibrancy of nature even in the city center.

Park Heeyoung, Mayor of Yongsan District, stated, “This Christmas makeover was prepared to offer a place where people can pause and enjoy the warmth of the holiday season, even amid their busy daily lives,” adding, “We will continue to promote various initiatives to bring relaxation and warmth to residents’ everyday lives.”

Meanwhile, Yongsan District is also redeveloping the roadside green spaces along Noksapyeong-daero and Itaewon-ro into ‘street gardens’ that combine flowers, trees, and resting areas, and is working to expand green infrastructure by creating urban forests to mitigate the urban heat island effect and reduce fine dust.