Ganghwa County Springs Forward as a Forest Recreation Hub

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Choi Ki-ho] Ganghwa County is emerging as the Seoul metropolitan area's largest forest recreation destination.

This reflects the county's dedicated administrative efforts to create pleasant and visually engaging recreation spaces at Seokmo Island Arboretum, recreation forest, hiking trails, and other facilities, allowing visitors to find healing and rest in nature.

Notably, to advance the 'Seokmo Island Natural Recreation Forest Tourism Resource Development Project,' the county applied for an Ministry of the Interior and Safety initiative and secured 6 billion won in budget to accelerate the creation of forest recreation spaces starting next year.

■ Incheon's Premier Forest Recreation and Welfare Facility...Seokmo Island Recreation Forest

According to the Korea Forest Service's '2022 Forest Recreation and Welfare Activity Survey,' over 82.7% of Incheon residents who experienced forest recreation and welfare activities expressed satisfaction, and 81.4% of respondents recognized that such activities have a positive impact on their lives. Notably, 79.7% indicated willingness to revisit natural recreation forests.

Seokmo Island Natural Recreation Forest, which opened in 2011, is regarded as the premier recreation destination in the Seoul metropolitan area, with reservations filling up even on weekdays. The county conducts annual maintenance of guest rooms and facilities; this year alone, it undertook extensive facility upgrades including repainting, roof replacement, and additional CCTV installation. Additionally, the county provides diverse attractions through flower plantings that enhance the forest's beauty and the installation of photo zones.

From next year through 2027, the county plans to implement the Seokmo Island Recreation Forest Tourism Resource Development Project, transforming it into the nation's premier forest recreation destination through the installation of a skywalk observatory and rest areas, forest bathing zones, deck roads, and distinctive tree plantings.

■ 'Forest Education' for Children's Emotional Development and Experiential Learning

While forests serve a recreation function, demand is also growing for forest education that allows children to connect with nature through diverse forest resources and foster emotional development.

The 'Seokmo Island Arboretum,' located on Seokmo Island, operates various forest experience programs designed for families and children.

The arboretum houses diverse experiential spaces including an early childhood forest experience center, ecological experience hall, alpine wetland garden, rock garden, greenhouse, and woodcraft studio, along with resident expert forest educators, enabling both children and adults to participate in forest experiences.

Notably, Ganghwa County launched the nation's first 'Forest Experience English Class' this year, which allows children to naturally learn English through various forest play activities with native English instructors at the arboretum. The program has garnered strong response for simultaneously cultivating ecological sensitivity and a global mindset among children.

In response to this popularity, the county plans to invest approximately 150 million won to further develop the early childhood forest experience center by year-end and will continuously develop diverse forest experience programs.

■ Creation and Maintenance of Pleasant and Walkable Forest Trails

Hiking has long established itself as the most familiar leisure activity among Korean citizens. According to a recent Korea Forest Service survey, four out of five adults aged 19 and older in Korea participate in hiking at least once annually, which translates to approximately 340 million person-visits per year. It is perhaps a natural result that people living in a country where 65% of the land is mountainous enjoy mountain climbing.

Following this trend, Ganghwa County has installed numerous convenience facilities such as observation decks, outdoor seating, and dust-clearing stations on major hiking trails including Goryeo Mountain and Hyeolgu Mountain, which attract many hikers, thereby providing comfortable hiking experiences.

The county is also advancing maintenance projects for safe and pleasant forest trails. Recently, it invested 700 million won to maintain forest trails and facilities at six locations including Goryeo Mountain and Hwagae Mountain, while the suspension bridges at Goryeo Mountain and Haemyeong Mountain undergo regular safety inspections twice annually to ensure visitor safety.

County Governor Yu Cheon-ho stated, "Ganghwa County is a region where 43.17% of the total land is forested," adding, "We will do our best to create forest recreation spaces with diverse attractions and entertainment for both county residents and visitors, enabling our county to become a center leading comprehensive forest culture."