Jongno-gu push to protect 'poisoned' Buam-dong ginkgo hits wall over landowner opposition

Jongno-gu in Seoul is pursuing a "beautiful tree" designation for a ginkgo in Buam-dong that was allegedly poisoned and left near death, but the effort has run into resistance from some of the land's owners.

According to Jongno-gu, the district sent registered letters on June 12 to the owners of the land where the ginkgo stands, requesting their consent to the designation. The tree sits on a total of 1,850 square meters of land held by 46 owners. The deadline for responses was June 23. Including those who replied after the deadline, 16 owners have responded so far. Some opposed the designation, saying it could infringe on their property rights. Under Article 265 of the Civil Act, the designation requires the consent of owners holding more than half of the total land share.

"The combined share of owners who have responded does not exceed half, and opinions are split, so moving forward with the designation is difficult at this point," a Jongno-gu official said. "However, responses are still coming in after the deadline, so we want to wait a little longer." The district declined to disclose the exact breakdown of shares for and against.

All owners who responded agreed to pruning and other basic maintenance work on the tree. Jongno-gu said it plans to carry out pruning with the owners' consent, adding that the timing will depend on the tree's condition.

Environmental groups have called for the ginkgo to be registered as a protected tree, but that status requires a tree to be at least 400 years old. The ginkgo is estimated to be around 200 years old, making it ineligible. Jongno-gu has therefore pursued the "beautiful tree" designation instead. The district operates a "beautiful tree" system to conserve and protect trees of ecological, cultural or academic value, and 94 trees in the district currently hold that status. Designation would allow the district to take direct responsibility for the tree's care, including administering nutrients.

The alleged poisoning came to light in May when it emerged that herbicide had been injected into the ginkgo, which stands on a private road next to the wall of the Whanki Museum in Buam-dong. Jongno-gu visited the scene on May 22 after receiving a complaint and assessed the damage. A tree clinic diagnosis conducted four days later found that chemical compounds were causing the tree's crown to die back. The Whanki Museum acknowledged that it had hired a landscaping company to inject the herbicide.

The museum posted an apology on its website on June 1 under the title "We are sorry." "We sincerely apologize to those who cherish Buam-dong and the Whanki Museum for the concern caused by the ginkgo tree incident," it said. "We are making every effort and taking necessary steps to help the tree recover and to address the broader situation. We ask for your understanding as we approach this serious matter from multiple angles."

Jongno-gu sent a letter to the museum on June 4 demanding "responsible restoration of the original condition." The district commissioned a specialist institution to collect soil samples around the tree and analyze them for residual herbicide. On June 29, a group of 60 Buam-dong residents, civic figures and members of the Seoul Environment Federation filed a criminal complaint against Whanki Museum director Park Mi-jeong and the Whanki Foundation on charges of property damage and violation of the Soil Environment Conservation Act.