"Herbicide Injected into 100-Year-Old Ginkgo Tree"... Whanki Museum in Buam-dong Faces Criticism

Whanki Museum Injects Herbicide into Nearby Ginkgo Tree
Residents Say, "Leaves Turned Yellow and Withered in Late May"
Calls for Protected Tree Designation by City... Criticism Over Legal Gaps

A ginkgo tree that has stood in the heart of Seoul for over 100 years is now at risk of dying due to herbicide damage. Controversy has arisen after it was revealed that a nearby art museum injected herbicide into the tree.

Residents of Buam-dong, Seoul, and the Seoul Environmental Union held a protest condemning the Ventilation Art Museum. Seoul Environmental Union

According to Yonhap News on May 26, the Seoul Federation for Environmental Movements and residents of Buam-dong held a press conference in front of the Whanki Museum, claiming that the museum injected herbicide into a ginkgo tree outside the museum’s wall, putting it on the brink of death. Residents estimate the tree to be over 100 years old.

They only recently noticed something was wrong with the tree. A local resident discovered a large number of yellow, withered ginkgo leaves on the ground in late May, which was unusual for the season. Suspecting something amiss, residents checked CCTV provided by a nearby resident, and footage from 9 a.m. on April 22 showed two workers in green uniforms using a drill to bore holes in the ginkgo tree outside the Whanki Museum wall and injecting herbicide. On May 22, the residents visited the Whanki Museum with the police, and it was reported that the museum admitted to injecting herbicide into the tree.

According to Yonhap News, the Whanki Museum had previously filed a complaint with Jongno District Office, arguing that the growing ginkgo tree posed a risk of causing the outer wall to collapse. The museum told Hankyoreh, “We determined that the roots of the tree were digging under the wall and causing cracks, creating a dangerous situation. We contacted the district office and landowners, and also sent a certified letter.” However, at the end of last year, Jongno District Office conducted a safety inspection and reportedly concluded that the tree did not pose a risk to the wall.

The road where the tree is located is a jointly owned property, with more than 40 registered owners. The Seoul Federation for Environmental Movements pointed out that this complicated ownership structure makes it difficult for the district office to intervene. The organization said, “A resident who realized the urgent condition of the ginkgo tree contacted the district office’s parks and green spaces department to take immediate action, but was told, ‘It is difficult to intervene since the tree is on private property.’ Currently, the law treats urban trees as private property rather than as living beings with a right to life. As a result, trees with unclear ownership cannot protect themselves, and if their rights are violated, it is difficult to seek redress.”

Condition of the ginkgo tree over 100 years old near Hwanggi Museum. Seoul Environment Federation

The current condition of the tree is reported to be critical. At the press conference, Woo Jongyoung, an arborist from the National Heritage Administration, stated, “On-site measurements showed that herbicide was injected through about 11 holes, each about 10mm in diameter and 7–13cm deep, and a significant portion of the upper branches are already dead.” Woo added, “The ginkgo tree, having been exposed to herbicide for an extended period, is now in a very precarious state, and immediate action is needed.”

The press conference participants urged the Whanki Museum to cooperate with emergency measures for the tree and to bear the associated costs, and called on the Seoul Metropolitan Government to designate the ginkgo as a protected tree. The Whanki Museum, a private art museum established in Buam-dong in 1992 in honor of Kim Whanki (1913–1974), a leading figure in Korean abstract art, is operated by the Whanki Foundation, founded by Kim’s widow, Kim Hyang-an, after his passing. The museum has long emphasized that “nature was the central theme that ran through Kim Whanki’s entire artistic life.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.