KAGMC Expands the Value of “K-Garden and Garden Culture” as Everyday Public Assets

The Korea Arboretum and Garden Management Center (KAGMC) is accelerating the establishment of a K-Garden foundation with three core pillars: popularizing garden culture, nurturing professional talent, and promoting international cooperation. The aim is to increase the utilization of K-Garden as a public asset and enhance its global competitiveness to take the lead in spreading garden culture both domestically and internationally.

Interior view of the National Garden Culture Center. Korea Arboretum and Garden Management Corporation

The National Garden Culture Center will serve as the outpost for spreading garden culture initiatives led by KAGMC. Located in Damyang, South Jeolla Province, the center spans a 7-hectare site and features four zones and 16 themed gardens, making it a venue for garden culture experiences, exhibitions, educational programs, and therapy activities.

This year, the Garden Culture Center will promote activities such as the South Jeolla K-Namdo Garden Tourism program, Gyeongsang Region Garden Culture Walks, and garden healing programs for vulnerable groups, thereby expanding the area of public gardens as a public resource. The intention is to establish garden culture as a common, everyday activity and create an environment where everyone can utilize gardens.

The organization is also focusing on laying the foundations for a master’s curriculum in gardening and the operation of a national professional certification system in the field. In particular, through the Garden Dream Project, it plans to foster practical talent in the gardening sector, enabling youth and aspiring professionals to gain on-site experience in planning, creating, and operating gardens. The Garden Dream Project will be carried out as a hands-on-based project with 25 teams (a total of 125 participants) across five regions nationwide.

Through these efforts, KAGMC intends to secure the professional workforce needed to underpin the spread of garden culture and lay the groundwork for the sustainable growth of the sector.

The creation of a digital healing garden at the Garden Culture Center is also a noteworthy project. By utilizing ESG funds, the project aims to establish a digital-technology-based healing garden and offer customized garden therapy programs for firefighters, the elderly living alone, and individuals with acquired disabilities, thereby increasing the public utilization value of gardens.

The project’s goal is to transform gardens from simple viewing spaces into “everyday public assets” that encompass functions of healing, recovery, and social care.

Interior view of the Tropical Greenhouse at the National Sejong Arboretum. Korea Arboretum and Garden Center

Efforts are also gaining momentum to showcase the excellence of K-Garden on the international stage. KAGMC is currently preparing to create a Korean garden (343㎡) at next year’s Yokohama International Horticulture Expo, with detailed design work and an initial exhibition expected to take place in the second half of this year.

Additionally, the organization plans to hold the “2026 Korea Garden Show,” building a public platform specializing in Korean-style healing gardens and garden design capabilities, in order to further establish the foundation for the overseas expansion of K-Garden.

A pair of tigers are gathered in a group in the Tiger Forest within the Baekdudaegan National Arboretum. Korea Arboretum and Garden Management Corporation

The organization is also combining the plant resources and educational and exhibition capabilities of its affiliated arboretums and botanical gardens to elevate the value of Korean-style garden culture.

Currently, the National Sejong Arboretum leverages its status as Korea’s first urban-type arboretum to narrow the distance between garden culture and daily life. The Sejong Arboretum has gained nationwide fame as a tourist destination by offering special exhibitions, nighttime openings, and life cycle–based educational programs across its 26 themed gardens. In fact, the Sejong Arboretum has been selected for two consecutive terms (2023–2024 and 2025–2026) for the “Top 100 Korean Tourist Attractions” awarded by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization.

The Baekdudaegan National Arboretum supports the resource base of K-Garden with its vast forest ecosystem resources and advanced exhibition expertise. The arboretum, which covers 5,179 hectares, operates 39 exhibition gardens. It also expands the conservation and educational base of plant resources through rare alpine plant acquisition, contract cultivation of native plants, residential educational programs, and international youth forums. By offering seasonal content that integrates exhibitions, guided tours, and hands-on experiences, it contributes to the expansion of the Korean-style, nature-based garden ecosystem.

Simsangtaek, chairman of KAGMC, stated, “With the Garden Culture Center as our focal point, we will simultaneously advance initiatives in garden education, healing gardens, and international expos, while leveraging plant resources and educational and exhibition capabilities of our affiliated arboretums and botanical gardens to enhance the value of Korean-style garden culture. We are committed to ensuring that K-Garden and garden culture gain the competitiveness to promote the value of gardens on the global stage.”

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