Sacheon City in South Gyeongsang Province has once again provided citizens with opportunities to experience the beauty of nature up close in the fields of green spaces, parks, and forests this year, while also contributing to the protection of citizens' lives and property by expanding forest resources.
◆ "The atmosphere around City Hall has completely changed" - Creation of an outdoor garden at City Hall
Sacheon City invested approximately 500 million won, secured through a Korea Forest Service public project, to create a garden that brings the warmth of the forest to the previously barren surroundings. The city planted a variety of tree species, shrubs, and flowering plants that can be enjoyed throughout all four seasons, and installed walking paths and convenience facilities such as benches.
The outdoor garden at City Hall has laid the foundation for the spread of garden culture, going beyond a simple landscaping space to become a green healing area and a realization of green welfare in daily life, accessible to both citizens and staff.
◆ Reborn as a premium park enjoyed by both citizens and tourists
In June 2025, Sacheon City created a "premium hydrangea garden" by planting approximately 18,000 hydrangeas of 10 varieties along the walking trail in Mangsan Park. The eight-colored hydrangeas lining the trail provided a vibrant spectacle that received praise from both citizens and tourists.
In December, the city completed "Wolseong Park," an urban healing destination equipped with green spaces and various cultural facilities, at 13-23 Wolseong-ri, Sannam-myeon.
The park features a barefoot walking trail, rest areas, an outdoor stage, a health plaza, as well as a forest experience center for children and outdoor exercise equipment, making it a place that people of all ages can enjoy.
Wolseong Park is scheduled to open in January next year. It is expected to provide a space for nature and relaxation within the city, bringing vitality to daily life, emotional stability, and health benefits.
◆ Strengthening proactive landslide prevention systems to achieve zero casualties
The city contributed to the protection of citizens' lives and property by enhancing its response to heavy rainfall and ensuring the stability of vulnerable forest areas. As localized heavy rains and typhoons have become more frequent due to recent climate change, landslide prevention has emerged as a key issue for regional safety. Accordingly, Sacheon City plans to invest 77 million won in 2026 to conduct precise surveys of 110 sites at risk of landslides and, based on the results, designate and manage vulnerable areas. In addition, the city will use the survey data to upgrade its risk assessment system and promote landslide forecasts and response guidelines to residents, thereby enhancing the community's disaster response capabilities.
◆ Construction of forest roads for sustainable forest management and wildfire response
To improve forest management efficiency and strengthen disaster response capabilities such as wildfire prevention, the city invested 1.1 billion won to construct forest roads over a total length of 13.8 kilometers. This has expanded the forestry production base and enabled systematic management of forest resources.
In particular, the functionality of these roads has been enhanced to allow for quick access and firefighting activities in the event of a wildfire. The construction of these forest roads is expected to contribute to the prevention of forest disasters and the revitalization of rural areas. To continue expanding forest road facilities, the city plans to invest 2.3 billion won in 2026 to construct an additional 19 kilometers of forest roads.
◆ Creation of forest trails to expand citizen rest areas
To ensure that citizens can safely and comfortably enjoy nature, the city invested a total of 300 million won to create forest trails at five locations, taking into account local characteristics and the natural environment. In particular, the city will enhance walking convenience and safety so that people of all ages can use the trails. The creation of these forest trails is expected to strengthen forest recreation functions and improve the quality of life for citizens. In 2026, the city will continue to provide high-quality forest trail services through systematic operation and safety management.
◆ Full-scale promotion of healthy forests through forest management achievements
Sacheon City has systematically carried out afforestation, forest management, and pine wilt disease control projects, achieving meaningful results in creating healthy forests and expanding future forest resources. Through the afforestation of 58.9 hectares and forest management projects covering 1,892.5 hectares, the city has enhanced the public benefits of forests. In addition, by removing 23,000 pine trees damaged by pine wilt disease, the city has focused on preventing the spread of the disease.
As a result of these achievements, Sacheon City was selected as a "commended" institution in both the forest resource and pine wilt disease control categories in the 2025 Gyeongsangnam-do city and county evaluation. Building on this, the city plans to fully implement projects for sustainable forest resource development in 2026. In addition, the city will continue to strengthen forest health and disaster prevention functions through a 40-hectare afforestation project, a 1,455-hectare forest management project, and the removal and replacement of trees damaged by pine wilt disease.
◆ Creation of a wood experience complex within the Sacheon Cable Car Natural Recreation Forest
Sacheon City began applying for public projects in 2022, held a design competition in 2023, and completed construction of a wood culture experience center with a total floor area of 1,161.62 square meters from August 2024 to November 2025.
The wood culture experience center is a multi-purpose space for wood-based experiences, education, and forest recreation. It is characterized by the establishment of a forest welfare infrastructure in connection with the Sacheon Cable Car Natural Recreation Forest. The city plans to carry out interior work early next year and begin trial operations in March.
◆ "Standing on Hinoki" - Promotion of the Forest Leisure Sports Facility (Tree Top Road) Project
Starting in 2026, Sacheon City plans to fully implement the construction of the Tree Top Road, a forest leisure sports facility, within the Sacheon Cable Car Natural Recreation Forest.
With a total project cost of 4.2 billion won, the Tree Top Road is a walking bridge that allows visitors to experience the natural scenery while walking above a Hinoki cypress forest. The city plans to carry out detailed design in 2025, obtain administrative approval for the construction plan in January 2026, and complete the project by June 2026.
The creation of the Tree Top Road is expected to expand forest leisure content by linking it with the Sacheon Cable Car Natural Recreation Forest and the net adventure facility, thereby broadening forest leisure spaces for citizens and strengthening the foundation for stay-type tourism facilities.
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