Korea Arboretum and Garden Institute to offer free admission at three national sites from Sept. 24 to 27
A series of free events and activities in nature will be available to the public during the Chuseok holiday.
The Korea Arboretum and Garden Institute, an affiliate of the Korea Forest Service, announced Monday that it will open the National Baekdudaegan Arboretum, the National Sejong Arboretum and the National Korean Native Plant Garden free of charge from Sept. 24 to 27, with the exception of Chuseok Day itself.
The free admission is intended to give the public a relaxed way to spend the traditional holiday in nature, with easy access to the exhibitions and hands-on programs the arboretums and botanical gardens offer.
The National Baekdudaegan Arboretum will host a special exhibition, "Forest, Open for Business," on the second floor of its visitor center starting Sept. 22. The exhibition uses character-based displays to present content on native plant collection and conservation, seed vaults and seed banks, and climate change in an accessible and engaging way.
On Saturday, the arboretum's Tiger Forest will hold a Siberian tiger behavioral enrichment session and ecology briefing to raise awareness of the importance of conserving endangered species.
The National Sejong Arboretum will mark the holiday with a traditional games event — "We Really Played Well! Yutnori Edition" — featuring yut nori, jegi chagi and other games enjoyed across generations. Starting Saturday, the arboretum also plans to unveil "The Second Season of the Five-Color Garden," an updated version of its ongoing exhibition "The Five-Color Garden Painted by Henri Matisse," incorporating autumn plants and new display arrangements.
The National Korean Native Plant Garden will run an autumn flower week, "An Autumn Letter Along the Wildflower Path," from Saturday through Oct. 11, offering hands-on programs including flower-filled transparent frames and pressed-flower fan making.
Garden shops at four locations under the institute — the National Baekdudaegan Arboretum, the National Sejong Arboretum, the National Korean Native Plant Garden and the National Garden Culture Center — will offer a 10 percent discount on all products from Sept. 24 to 27, excluding Chuseok Day.
To expand sales channels for forest products, the institute will survey demand from organizations including the Korea Forest Management Association and the Korea Professional Forestry Association, and use the results to bring in new vendors offering a range of forest products such as hedgehog mushroom tea and omija syrup.
"We have prepared free admission and a variety of cultural events so that people can spend a relaxed and fulfilling Chuseok holiday in nature with their families," said Shim Sang-taek, chairman of the Korea Arboretum and Garden Institute. "We hope visitors will feel the beauty of Korea's native plants and create special memories at the arboretums and botanical gardens."
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