Chuncheon clears 2-year heritage hurdle, puts lake garden on track for national status

Chuncheon's Lake Provincial Garden project, stalled for years over concerns about buried cultural heritage on the site, is now moving forward after authorities wrapped up more than two and a half years of consultations — clearing the way for the lakeside city to pursue national garden status, much as Suncheon has done. Completion is targeted for next year.

Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province and Chuncheon city said they had recently obtained excavation-deferral approval for key sections of the site, formally concluding a heritage review process that had dragged on for about two years and seven months.

The garden also plans to draw on the historical and philosophical legacy of "Yeongji," the lotus pond at Cheonpyeongsa Munsuwon — the oldest surviving Goryeo-era garden relic in South Korea — reinterpreting it in a contemporary form to give the garden a distinctly Chuncheon identity.

The city reached the excavation-deferral approval after conducting exploratory surveys and consulting relevant agencies. Excavation deferral is a procedure under which authorities determine, following review of buried heritage findings, that a project may proceed. The approval brings the prolonged consultations to a close and allows the project to accelerate significantly.

Chuncheon received approval from Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province for its Lake Provincial Garden development plan in March, and held its first compensation council meeting last month. Individual compensation negotiations began this month, with the city aiming to complete the compensation process by the end of this year.

Construction broke ground in January, with earthwork and tree-clearing operations currently underway. The city plans to develop scenic rest areas, walking trails and themed gardens in stages.

The Chuncheon Lake Provincial Garden project covers an 18-hectare site at 256 Jungdo-dong, with a total budget of 16.4 billion won (about $10.6 million), and targets completion in 2027. The goal is to create a nature-immersive ecological garden blending rest and culture while preserving the waterfront scenery of Uiam Lake and the natural environment of Sangjungdo.

The garden will be organized by spatial character and theme, featuring areas such as a Signature Garden and a Yunseur Art Garden, designed to capture Chuncheon's distinctive landscape of mountains, lake and forest.

Walking trails, scenic rest areas and waterfront activity spaces along the shores of Uiam Lake will also be developed, allowing residents and tourists to experience the natural surroundings of Sangjungdo up close.

Throughout the garden, Chuncheon plans to weave in a contemporary reinterpretation of the history and philosophy behind Yeongji, the Goryeo-era pond at Cheonpyeongsa Munsuwon — South Korea's oldest surviving garden relic from that period — giving the site a narrative rooted in the city's own heritage.

The garden will also be linked to the National Garden Material Center being developed on the highland section of Sangjungdo, integrating research, exhibition, education and hands-on programs centered on garden plants. Building on that foundation, the city envisions expanding a garden-city framework where garden culture, the garden industry, tourism and wellness converge.

The city also plans to establish a circular garden tourism circuit connected to the Uiam Lake waterfront, and to pursue hosting an international garden expo and upgrading the site to national garden status in phases.

"The Lake Provincial Garden will be a future growth engine for Chuncheon," a city official said. "We will push ahead without disruption so that residents can enjoy nature and relaxation in their daily lives, and build this into a representative lake-style garden for South Korea."