Campaign aims to promote public health and spread garden culture nationwide
The Korea Forest Service announced Monday it will run the "2026 Healthy City Stamp Tour" through Nov. 30 in collaboration with the Korea Health Promotion Institute.
The campaign, designed to promote public health and spread a culture of healthy living, is organized around a special itinerary featuring gardens across the country.
The Korea Forest Service plans to introduce 252 sites — including national gardens, local gardens, private gardens and arboretums near residential areas — as safe spaces for physical activity, with the aim of fostering healthy leisure habits and invigorating garden culture.
Recently selected highlights include the "Top 30 Beautiful Private Gardens" and the "10 Must-Visit Arboretums," which showcase the natural environment of their regions and the philosophies of their creators. Visitors can explore the value of Korea's plant resources and experience garden culture more deeply through a range of programs at these green destinations.
Garden activities have been shown to reduce negative mental health factors such as depression and anxiety while supporting physical well-being. Arboretums also serve as multifaceted cultural spaces, offering conservation, research and exhibition functions alongside hands-on programs.
The tour will spotlight diverse locations across the country, including private gardens, to raise public awareness of and participation in garden culture. Monthly prize draws will be held for participants.
Choi Hyeon-su, director of the Korea Forest Service's Arboretum and Garden Policy Division, said gardens are "living cultural spaces that support the healthy daily lives of the public and heal the mind and body." He added that the agency would "continue to promote various programs to widely share the unique value and appeal of gardens across the country, so that garden culture can naturally take root in people's everyday lives."
kwonhl@heraldcorp.com
