Jinju Wins Presidential Award for Wolasan Forest Park, Strengthens Foundation as a Garden City

Top Honor at the 16th Korea Landscape Architecture Awards... Evaluations Cover Garden Creation, Public Value, and More
Jinju Mayor Jo Gyuil Attends Awards Ceremony... City Moves to Strengthen Foundations for National Garden Designation

Wolasan Forest Park, a leading forest recreation facility in Jinju, South Gyeongsang Province, won the Presidential Award, the top honor at the 16th Korea Landscape Architecture Awards in 2026.

Jinju City announced on the 13th that Wolasan Forest Park had been selected for the Presidential Award at the 16th Korea Landscape Architecture Awards, jointly hosted by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Foundation for Landscape Architecture Development.

The Korea Landscape Architecture Awards comprehensively evaluate domestic landscaping projects, including their planning, design, construction, and maintenance. Key evaluation criteria include the creativity and quality of plans, construction quality, ongoing maintenance systems, and public value.

[Photo provided by Jinju City] Jinju Mayor Jo Gyu-il, citizen gardeners, and officials from the landscaping and forestry sectors pose for a commemorative photo after receiving the Presidential Award at the 16th Korea Landscape Architecture Awards.

Jinju City won a special award in the landscaping project category at the first Landscape Architecture Awards, hosted by the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture in 2001, and has now received the Presidential Award 25 years later.

Wolasan Forest Park, the recipient of this year's award, is a forest welfare complex that combines forest and garden spaces to provide places for residents to relax, as well as forest education and hands-on facilities.

It features a woodland center, a natural recreation forest, and forest recreation facilities, and offers forest education, recreation, and hands-on programs for residents and tourists.

Jinju City believes the award recognizes the spatial design of Wolasan Forest Park as a local garden, as well as the achievements in managing and operating its landscaping facilities.

The city plans to use the award as an opportunity to improve its garden infrastructure and operating systems, while continuing preparations to seek national garden designation in the long term.

However, winning the Korea Landscape Architecture Awards and receiving national garden designation are separate processes. To be designated a national garden, the site must meet the requirements set out in relevant laws and undergo a review.

Jinju Mayor Jo Gyu-il attended the awards ceremony and accepted the Presidential Award. Jinju City garden committee members, citizen gardeners, members of the Landscaping Tree Association and the Forestry Cooperative, and artists who participated in creating the garden also attended.

In connection with the award, Jinju City also took part in operating a promotional booth at the “Outstanding Public Landscaping Pavilion” at the first Korea Landscape Architecture Expo. The booth showcased key views and garden facilities at Wolasan Forest Park, as well as its forest recreation and hands-on programs.

Mayor Jo Gyu-il also visited the promotional booth, looked over the exhibits, and encouraged event organizers and staff.

Jinju City plans to publicize the award through its website and various promotional channels, and to promote tourism by linking information about its garden facilities, hands-on events, and visits.

The city also plans to expand garden-related cultural activities involving local residents, including citizen gardeners, and to continue improving the maintenance of garden facilities and the operation of programs.

Mayor Jo Gyu-il said, “This Presidential Award is significant because it recognizes the spatial value and excellence of Wolasan Forest Park as a local garden. I thank the residents and everyone involved in creating and maintaining the garden. We will continue to strengthen our facilities and operational capabilities so that it can develop into a national garden.”

For Wolasan Forest Park's Presidential Award to lead to national garden designation, the city must systematically prepare to meet the relevant requirements, including through ongoing garden maintenance, stronger operational capabilities, and greater public participation.

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