Theme: 'Sustainable Roads, Gardens Opening the Future'

Six finalists each receive 3 million won to build real garden

[Provided by Korea Expressway Corp.]
[Provided by Korea Expressway Corp.]

Korea Expressway Corp. is creating a platform to expand everyday garden culture through public creativity and diversify the ecological programming at a regional arboretum it operates.

The state-run highway operator announced Tuesday it will hold the 2026 Korea Expressway Corp. Garden Design Competition under the theme "Sustainable Roads, Gardens Opening the Future."

First held in 2018, the annual competition aims to discover fresh garden design ideas, broaden public appreciation of garden culture, and enrich the ecological and cultural experience programs at Jeonju Arboretum, which Korea Expressway Corp. operates.

The competition is open to two categories: a general division open to all members of the public, and a "young landscaper" division for high school students enrolled in landscaping, horticulture or related fields. From all submissions, judges will select six finalists — five from the general division and one from the young landscaper division. Each selected team will receive 3 million won (about $2,150) to build an actual garden measuring 12 square meters.

The completed gardens will be evaluated on-site at the 2026 Korea Expressway Corp. Garden Expo, scheduled for Sept. 15, where final rankings will be determined. Prize money totals 7.4 million won: 2 million won for the grand prize, 1.5 million won each for two excellence awards, and 800,000 won each for three merit awards. All winning works will be preserved and displayed to the public in the special exhibition zone at Jeonju Arboretum for one year.

Applicants can download entry forms from Korea Expressway Corp.'s official website between Aug. 4 and Aug. 13 and submit them to a designated email address. Detailed competition guidelines are available on the website as well as the corporation's official social media channels, including Facebook and its blog. Additional inquiries can be directed to the dedicated facilities department contact.

"Jeonju Arboretum is fully open to the public free of charge as part of our eco-friendly ESG management practices, and it has established itself as an unrivaled healing destination in the region, drawing an annual average of 700,000 visitors over the past five years," a Korea Expressway Corp. official said. "We hope this competition will fill the arboretum's ecological spaces with the vibrant and diverse ideas that the public has to offer, and we encourage wide interest and active participation."

Meanwhile, Korea Expressway Corp.'s North Jeolla regional headquarters is also holding the 2026 Jeonju Arboretum Photo Competition to mark the first anniversary of the arboretum's "Rose Garden" being named one of the world's outstanding gardens. Winning entries will be displayed in a special exhibition during the September garden expo.


hwshin@heraldcorp.com