Gyeonggi Province Secures About 600 Million Won in National Funding for Three Sharing Forest and Barrier-Free Trail Projects

Gyeonggi Province has secured about 600 million won in national funding after three projects were selected in the 2027 Green Fund Support Project competition organized by the Korea Forest Welfare Institute, an agency under the Korea Forest Service.

The selected projects include the creation of Forest Welfare Sharing Forests in Ansan and Hwaseong and the construction of a barrier-free sharing trail in Icheon.

Forest Welfare Sharing Forests are created by planting trees and developing rest areas on unused land and rooftops at welfare facilities. They provide green spaces where residents and visitors to the facilities can experience nature and relax in their daily lives.

The barrier-free sharing trail to be built in Icheon will make the forest accessible to people with mobility challenges, including people with disabilities and older adults. The project will reduce the gradient to 8% or less and install wooden walkways. The trail will also be designed to make it easy for people using wheelchairs and strollers to travel through the forest.

Barrier-Free Sharing Trail in Oncheon Park, Icheon

The Green Fund Support Project is a competitive funding program that expands green spaces at facilities used by socially and economically vulnerable groups and helps people with mobility challenges, including people with disabilities and older adults, access forests.

Before entering the competition, Gyeonggi Province developed project plans after conducting on-site consultations at the proposed locations and coordinating with cities and counties. Using the national and local funds secured, the province plans to carry out design work and administrative procedures in early 2027 and complete the projects by the end of that year.

Lee Taeseon, head of Gyeonggi Province's Garden Industry Division, said, "Green infrastructure is a universal right that all residents should enjoy equally, without physical or economic barriers, and an important asset for green welfare. Building on the success in this competition, we will work to expand havens for vulnerable groups and people with mobility challenges across the province, and do our utmost to create a greener Gyeonggi where everyone can enjoy nature in their daily lives."

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