Goyang City Council Rejects Budget for "Public Arboretum Feasibility Study"
No Public Forest Cultural or Recreational Facilities in the City
Arboretum Expected to Create Value in Multiple Areas if Established
The ambitious "public arboretum" project promoted by Goyang Special City in Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Lee Donghwan) is at risk of being derailed before it even begins, as it faces strong opposition from the city council.
Goyang Special City is pushing to establish a public arboretum in order to meet citizens' demand for forest recreation, provide spaces for leisure, relaxation, education, and hands-on experiences, and to promote the conservation and research of plant genetic resources as well as boost ecological tourism.
According to Goyang Special City on December 18, the city requested a total of 270 million won for the "Goyang Public Arboretum Master Plan and Feasibility Study" budget over five separate occasions, starting with the second supplementary budget last year, followed by this year's main budget, the first and second supplementary budgets, and next year's main budget proposal. All requests were rejected.
This means that the most basic administrative procedure-confirming the need for the arboretum and selecting the optimal site-has been blocked for over a year. As a result, the city's plan to provide forest welfare services has stalled at the initial stage.
Demand for forest cultural services continues to rise. According to the 6th National Forest Master Plan (2024) announced by the Korea Forest Service, mountains, forests, campgrounds, neighborhood parks, and forest bathing areas rank high among the leisure spaces desired by the public. For example, the Kintex campground is used about 300 times per year per site, reflecting the steadily increasing preference among citizens for outdoor and forest spaces.
Goyang Special City is the only city in the vicinity of Gyeonggi Province that does not have a single public forest cultural or recreational facility. Neighboring municipalities such as Suwon, Yongin, Seongnam, Paju, and Yangju have already established and are operating multiple forest cultural facilities, including arboretums, natural recreation forests, and forest bathing areas, using them to enhance citizen welfare and as regional tourism resources.
Goyang Special City plans to leverage its identity as a floriculture industry city and create a differentiated arboretum by linking it with waterfront resources such as Changneungcheon and Gongneungcheon. The public arboretum is not just about creating green spaces; it is a key public infrastructure asset that can contribute to citizens' emotional well-being and quality of life, create local jobs, expand the tourism base, and improve the city's image.
On the other hand, the city council is reportedly taking a cautious stance, citing financial burdens and operational efficiency concerns due to the large-scale budget required for the project. There are also calls for a more thorough review regarding the maintenance and management costs after the arboretum is established, as well as the suitability of the project site.
A Goyang Special City official stated, "We will continue our efforts to secure the necessary budget so that we can provide citizens with nature-friendly forest cultural and recreational facilities."
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