Junggu District Offers Free Forest Leisure Programs on Namsan Foot Forest Trail

Junggu District in Seoul (District Mayor Kim Gilseong) will offer free forest leisure programs in the Namsan Foot Forest Trail area until November this year. The program consists of four themed activities: the newly introduced forest therapy program, the hiking program—which achieved an overall satisfaction rate of 93.3% last year—forest interpretation and insect experience, and an early childhood forest experience program.

The forest therapy program is designed to help participants relieve stress and achieve emotional stability in nature. Under the guidance of a forest healing instructor, activities such as barefoot walking, meditation, and tea time in the forest stimulate the five senses. The program operates four times a week—on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays—except during the peak summer season from mid-July to August.

Jung-gu Forest Trail Hiking Program (Night Hiking). Provided by Jung-gu.

The forest trail hiking program is open to elementary students and above. Guided by a forest hiking instructor, participants walk along the Namsan Foot Forest Trail and Maebongsan area, learning about hiking etiquette and safe forest trail use. The program differentiates difficulty by day: beginner level on Thursdays, intermediate and advanced on weekends, and night hiking on Wednesdays.

The forest interpretation and insect experience program takes place in the Namsan Foot Forest Trail, Jangchungdan Park, and Son Kee Chung Sports Park areas, led by a forest interpreter. Programs are tailored to participants, including family activities, curriculum-linked creative experiences for elementary, middle, and high school students, courses for office workers, and slow walking programs for the general public.

The early childhood forest experience program is held at the Early Childhood Forest Experience Center in the Namsan Foot Forest Trail for regularly participating institutions such as local daycare centers and kindergartens. Activities include making crafts from natural materials and rope play, helping children develop creativity and physical balance.

According to last year’s satisfaction survey, the hiking program recorded a 97.7% satisfaction rate, forest interpretation and insect experience 95.8%, and the early childhood forest experience program 86.4%. The high level of professionalism of the instructors and their friendly guidance received favorable reviews, with many participants expressing their intention to join again.

Information and registration for all programs except the early childhood forest experience are available through the Seoul Public Service Reservation System (yeyak.seoul.go.kr). For inquiries regarding program operation, contact the Parks and Greenery Department of Junggu District Office at 02-3396-5882.

District Mayor Kim Gilseong commented, "Living in Junggu means you can enjoy Namsan closer than anyone else," adding, "I hope the Namsan Foot Forest Trail program will provide warm comfort and energy as a place of rest for residents in the heart of the city."

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