From pre-opening promotions and coordinated tours to a 90-space temporary parking lot, Seocho-gu worked to ease visitor access; linked gardens, a riverside cafe and an arts salon extended the expo's appeal beyond the main venue
The Seoul International Garden Expo held at Maeheon Citizens' Forest in Seocho-gu closed to strong attendance, drawing 670,000 visitors over its 27-day run.
This year's expo was held around Maeheon Citizens' Forest under the theme "Seoul, Green Culture — Citizens' Garden."
Seocho-gu said the "2026 Maeheon Citizens' Forest Seoul International Garden Expo," which ran from Oct. 1 through Tuesday, successfully concluded its 27-day program with a total of 670,000 visitors.
Before the opening, the district promoted the event by broadcasting promotional videos on large outdoor displays and through IPTV screens in elevators at major apartment complexes across the area. It also held a workshop attended by about 500 neighborhood association leaders and organized tours of the expo grounds tied to other local events.
In addition, the district created garden and rest areas along pedestrian routes near the venue and along the riverside, and set up a temporary parking lot with about 90 spaces nearby to improve convenience for visitors.
The district also redesigned surrounding spaces so visitors could enjoy the garden atmosphere beyond the main venue. Linked gardens reflecting Seocho-gu's character were installed at key exits of Maeheon Citizens' Forest Station and along the path from Yeuicheon stream to the forest. Streetside green strips along Maeheon-ro and Mabang Neighborhood Park were also tidied up, and hanging flower baskets were placed on Yeoui 1 Bridge and Yeoui Bridge so that the garden experience extended along the routes to and from the expo.
Along the Yeuicheon riverside, the district set up a "Sowon Cafe" and a waterside garden, with outdoor tea tables and designer benches offering residents a place to rest in nature. A linked program called "Yangjae Art Salon," combining garden and art, was run along the nearby Yangjae Stream, allowing visitors to enjoy both garden culture and the arts in the area surrounding the expo.
Resident gardeners also drew attention at this year's expo. Thirty Seocho gardeners created a participatory garden in the district garden zone inside the expo grounds, featuring a taegeuk pattern under the theme "Hand in Hand" to showcase Seocho-gu's distinct character. Pocket gardens were also installed at exits of Maeheon Citizens' Forest Station, and throughout the expo the gardeners moved between the main venue and the surrounding linked gardens, trimming wilted flowers and tending to plantings to help maintain the gardens.
Seocho-gu plans to continue promoting the appeal of Maeheon Citizens' Forest and its surrounding gardens after the expo. The district will link the Seocho Garden Center, which opened Oct. 19, with Maeheon Citizens' Forest to run programs where residents can learn about garden culture and practice hands-on, developing the site into a hub for garden education and experience.
"This expo was prepared so that visitors could not only enjoy gardens within the beautiful natural setting of Maeheon Citizens' Forest, but also encounter garden culture along the nearby streams and throughout the neighborhood," Seocho-gu District Mayor Jeon Seong-su said. "We will continue building Seocho into a 'garden city' so that residents can enjoy nature and garden culture in their everyday lives."
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