"900-Year-Old Seocho-yeok Hyangnamu"...Seocho-gu Designates Its First Local Heritage

The Tallest and Oldest Incense Juniper in Seoul, Standing 18 Meters High

Seocho-gu in Seoul (District Mayor Jeon Seong-su) announced on February 8 that it had officially designated the 900-year-old "Seocho-yeok Hyangnamu" as Seocho-gu's first local heritage on January 29.

The 'Seocho Station Hyangnamu' designated as Seocho-gu's No. 1 local heritage. Provided by Seocho-gu.

Seocho-gu local heritage refers to unique local assets designated by the Seocho District Mayor that are not registered as state- or Seoul-designated cultural properties, but are deemed in need of preservation and management among cultural, natural, and intangible heritage. The district operates a local heritage designation system to systematically protect and manage heritage that embodies the area's identity.

Seocho-yeok Hyangnamu, standing 18 meters tall with a girth of 3.9 meters, is the largest and oldest incense juniper tree in Seoul, and possesses outstanding rarity and symbolic significance. Since 1968, it has been designated as a protected tree by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, recognizing its value as a natural heritage asset.

Familiar to residents under the contest-selected name "Cheonnyeonhyang" (Thousand-Year Fragrance), Seocho-yeok Hyangnamu was also designated in October last year as a symbol of the "Asia-Pacific Judicial Hub," and is establishing itself as a living landmark of Seocho-gu that represents public value and justice.

In addition, its ecological characteristics, having fully undergone the process of change from the natural environment of the past to the modern urban ecosystem, are highly regarded as academic material necessary for plant ecology research related to climate change and urbanization.

Taking this local heritage designation as an opportunity, the district plans to establish systematic protection and management measures for Seocho-yeok Hyangnamu so that local residents and future generations can share in the value of this local heritage.

Seocho District Mayor Jeon Seong-su stated, "Seocho-yeok Hyangnamu, which retains the breath of the Goryeo Dynasty, is a unique source of pride for our district that combines both historical rarity and symbolism," adding, "With this first designation as a starting point, we will continue to pay close attention to protecting the tree, and we will do our utmost to actively discover hidden heritage so that it can be fully passed down to future generations."