"Citizen Participation" Seoul International Garden Expo... Expanded to Maehun Citizens' Forest

Autumn Event Under the Theme of "Citizen's Garden"

Citizens to Directly Participate After Infrastructure Upgrades

Minimizing Restricted Areas and Enhanced Guidance with Banners

The 2026 Seoul International Garden Expo, which began at Seoul Forest last May, will be expanded to Maehun Citizens' Forest in Yangjaedong. The concept is "Citizen's Garden," and citizens will directly participate from garden creation to its operation.

According to Seoul City on August 10, ahead of the autumn edition of the Seoul International Garden Expo to be held at Maehun Citizens' Forest, construction to create more than 50 gardens will commence from August 19.

Maehun Citizens' Forest, Yangjae-dong, Seoul City

Currently, preliminary construction is underway at the expo site, including the installation of electrical and irrigation facilities for the gardens, groundwork maintenance, and upgrades to aging infrastructure. In particular, over 50 gardens—consisting of entries selected through open calls as well as those by companies, autonomous districts, and local government citizen gardeners—will be unveiled sequentially.

The Seoul International Garden Expo at Maehun Citizens' Forest consists of exhibition gardens created by artists, citizens, and students through open calls, as well as participatory gardens constructed by companies, local village gardeners, and citizen gardeners representing local governments that operate friendship exchange gardens with Seoul City. Additionally, citizen participation programs such as garden workshops will be held, allowing citizens to create their own gardens, share their experiences, and engage with one another.

During the expo, a "Garden Market" will be open, where visitors can experience and purchase various plants, garden supplies, and decorative accessories. There will also be a variety of garden culture programs to enjoy the essence of autumn, including forest-themed gardening experiences and healing activities.

To minimize inconvenience to citizens using Maehun Citizens' Forest during the construction period, Seoul City plans to install temporary fencing only in the actual construction zones, thereby limiting restricted areas as much as possible and ensuring the project is completed safely. In addition, informational banners will be placed at key entrances and around construction sites, and measures will be taken to ensure construction vehicles travel slowly and that safety management in work areas is strengthened.

Kim Younghwan, Director of the Garden City Bureau at Seoul City, said, "This autumn's Seoul International Garden Expo is not just about viewing gardens—citizens can create gardens themselves and enjoy the season together. We will do our utmost to minimize inconvenience and safety incidents during construction, while preparing thoroughly so that Maehun Citizens' Forest can be reborn as a new space where citizens can enjoy garden culture in their everyday lives."

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