Seodaemun District to Plant 300,000 Trees by 2030... 'Green Network' Linking Mountains, Streams and Neighborhoods

KRW 12.5 billion to plant one tree per resident
40% of the trees to come from contributions through redevelopment projects

Seodaemun District in Seoul, led by District Mayor Park Woon-gi, plans to plant 300,000 trees by the first half of 2030, linking mountains, streams and neighborhood parks into a single green network. That amounts to roughly one tree per resident. The district aims to extend forests beyond mountain slopes and stream banks to the routes residents walk every day and the parks near their homes, providing more shade where people can rest during heat waves.

Seodaemun-gu Mayor Park Woon-gi (third from left) and participants in an event marking the planting of 300,000 trees in Seodaemun-gu plant trees near Sillak Children's Park at Bukhansan. Provided by Seodaemun-gu.

Seodaemun District announced on October 18 that it would launch a project to plant 300,000 trees. The district will invest a total of KRW 12.5 billion and plant trees across five areas: ecological networks along forest trails, green spaces in neighborhood parks, green corridors along urban streets and streams, private green spaces, and commemorative tree planting with resident participation. The district said the project's focus is not the number of trees planted but connecting green spaces. Its plan is to link forests and parks created by the public with green spaces created through private development, and expand the network across the city with the participation of residents, universities and businesses.

The district is bordered by five mountains - Ansan, Inwangsan, Baengnyeonsan, Gungdongsan and Bukhansan - and two streams, Hongjecheon and Bulgwangcheon. According to Korea Meteorological Administration observations previously released by the district, the daily high temperatures in Seodaemun were the lowest among Seoul's 25 autonomous districts for three consecutive days, from August 3 to 5, with a difference of up to 4.8 degrees Celsius compared with hotter areas. The district said it aims to extend these natural surroundings throughout its residential areas.

The largest number of trees will be planted along streets and streams, areas closely connected to residents' daily lives. The district will invest KRW 4.4 billion to plant 62,000 trees. It will add street trees and green strips, and plant shade trees such as giant pussy willows and ash trees, as well as cherry trees, hydrangeas and roses along Hongjecheon and Bulgwangcheon. It will also add greenery beneath elevated structures and around urban infrastructure to combat the urban heat island effect.

The district will invest KRW 4 billion to plant 50,000 trees in forest areas. It will reconnect fragmented forests in conjunction with the construction of an ecological bridge linking Ansan and Goeunsan, the Inwangsan Link Trail, and the Baengnyeonsan Healing Loop Trail. The district will plant species suited to each mountain, including Korean azaleas and Corylopsis coreana on Ansan, and forsythia and Japanese kerria on Bukhansan. It will invest KRW 3.4 billion to plant 48,000 trees in neighborhood parks, and build an activity plaza and a forest therapy center at Baengnyeon Neighborhood Park, as well as a nature-themed playground and a water-play area at Bokjusan Neighborhood Park.

The district will secure 120,000 trees, or 40% of the total, through private development projects. It will use park and green-space contributions from redevelopment and reconstruction projects, including Yeonhui District 1 and Hongje District 3, as well as landscaping required for new buildings. This approach will require no separate district budget.

The district will invest KRW 700 million to plant 20,000 trees through resident participation. Under its "One Tree per Household Commemorative Planting" program, residents can plant a tree to mark family milestones such as a birth, marriage or school entrance, and attach a plaque to it. Village gardeners trained by the district will provide technical guidance, and the district will set up an online application system. It is also discussing the creation of a "business-participation forest" with local companies as an environmental, social and governance (ESG) community-contribution initiative. The district plans to reduce its financial burden by drawing on national and city government funding, grants and business participation.

District Mayor Park Woon-gi said, "The key is not simply to plant 300,000 trees as individual points, but to closely connect the mountains, streams and residential areas. We will make sure residents can find shade and greenery along the routes they walk every day and in the places where they stop to rest."

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