Gyeonggi Province Forest Recreational Facilities to Gradually Resume Operations from July 22

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Park No-hun] Gyeonggi Province announced on July 22 that it has decided to reopen all forest recreational facilities in the province that have been closed to contain the spread of COVID-19.

This measure follows the government's announcement on July 20 of the "Implementation of Adjustment Plans for Enhanced Quarantine Measures in the Metropolitan Area," which calls for public facilities and events to operate while adhering to quarantine standards.

Previously, the province had decided to close such facilities from late May, as forest recreational facilities are frequently used by many provincial residents and the closure was deemed necessary to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Under this measure, a total of 36 forest recreational facilities in the province—16 natural recreation forests and 20 arboretums—will gradually reopen starting July 22.

These include facilities operated by the province and municipalities such as Chukryeong-san Natural Recreation Forest, Mulhyang-gi Arboretum, and Yongin Natural Recreation Forest, as well as privately operated facilities including Cheongpyeong Natural Recreation Forest, Gondji-am Hwadamoup, and Achim Goyo Arboretum.

Overnight accommodations within natural recreation forests will operate normally. However, in light of the fact that this is still a time when vigilance cannot be completely relaxed, certain indoor facilities within forest recreational facilities—such as exhibition halls, timber culture experience centers, and exhibition greenhouses—have been decided to remain closed.

The reopening of these indoor facilities will be decided in early August after taking into account the trajectory of COVID-19 infection spread.

Visitors hoping to use forest recreational facilities in the province must strictly comply with "Five Personal Quarantine Rules and Four Supplementary Rules" announced by the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, such as 30-second hand washing and maintaining an arm's length distance, as well as facility-specific hygiene rules and action guidelines.

In particular, quarantine measures such as restricting access by those with symptoms and those who have traveled abroad in the past two weeks, limiting close contact between visitors, and checking visitors' body temperature will be continuously implemented to ensure that users can safely use the facilities.

Lee Sung-gyu, head of the Forestry Division of Gyeonggi Province, stated, "The reopening of these outdoor forest recreational facilities is the result of residents' active participation in everyday quarantine efforts. Going forward, we urge all visitors to actively comply with quarantine rules such as wearing masks to ensure safe and pleasant use of forest recreational facilities."