Mapo-gu Launches 'Plant 5 Million Trees Again' Initiative to Green the District by 2038

Mapo-gu will hold a proclamation ceremony Wednesday at 2 p.m. at Mapo Saevit Culture Forest to launch its "Plant 5 Million Trees Again" initiative, reviving a flagship tree-planting project that was halted under the district's eighth elected-term administration.

The district has rebranded the effort — originally a centerpiece of the seventh elected-term administration — as "Plant 5 Million Trees Again" and is moving ahead in earnest with a push to expand urban green space.

The initiative aims to counter worsening climate change, including more intense heat waves and heavy rainfall, by leveraging trees' heat-reduction properties to bring greenery into residential areas across the district.

According to Greenpeace, every additional square kilometer of green space can lower surface temperatures by up to 0.25 degrees Celsius. A separate analysis by the Seoul Institute of Technology found that shaded areas under street trees in parts of Mapo-gu and Jung-gu were up to 15.4 degrees cooler than surrounding areas.

The district has drawn up four core strategies and plans to plant more than 5 million trees over 12 years through June 2038.

The first strategy is to expand residential green space that residents can experience in their daily lives. The district will plant trees through large-scale neighborhood park improvements, the Korea Forest Service's climate-response forest program, upgrades to local parks and rest areas, and stream ecological restoration projects. Rooftop and wall greening will also be pursued on public buildings and other structures.

The second strategy focuses on creating street greenery for a more pleasant walking environment. Street trees will be added along sidewalks with an effective width of 2 meters or more.

Building on a shade-tree program launched in 2019, the district will also create "shade trees again" — large trees planted at traffic islands and crosswalks to provide natural shade. The first site is the traffic island at Sinchon Rotary, the second is the crosswalk in front of the Mapo-gu office, and the third is at Mapo Saevit Culture Forest, with more sites to follow.

The district is also investing in green strips connecting rows of street trees. In September, it created 141.5 square meters of pocket gardens and 184 square meters of green strips along pedestrian paths on World Cup-ro and Yanghwa-ro, planting 1,414 trees and 4,605 flowering plants.

Where planting space is limited or sufficient soil depth is hard to secure, the district plans to create gardens using mobile planters and to expand greenery in leftover spaces such as alleyways.

Beyond simply planting large numbers of trees, raising residents' awareness of the importance of trees and green space is also a key goal. The district has designated community participation in tree planting as its third strategy.

To mark Arbor Day, the district will hold relay tree-planting events with residents at locations across the area. It will also run a "one household, one tree" program, encouraging families to plant and tend a tree to mark life milestones such as marriage, birth, school enrollment and graduation.

The district will also train residents as community gardeners, providing education on plant characteristics and garden design, with graduates taking part directly in managing local gardens.

The fourth and final strategy is to expand tree planting in the private sector. The district plans to promote private green space creation through ESG tree-planting partnerships with local businesses, the completion of phase two of Mapo Saevit Culture Forest, tree planting tied to redevelopment and reconstruction projects, and landscaping consultations for private construction.

To support the initiative, the district has formed an advisory panel of experts including professors, tree doctors and licensed engineers, who will provide guidance on species selection, planting methods and maintenance to strengthen the program's overall quality.

"The 'Plant 5 Million Trees Again' initiative is not simply about planting a large number of trees — it is a forward-looking, eco-friendly investment to address climate change and improve the living environment for our residents," Mapo-gu District Mayor Yoo Dong-kyun said. "We will keep planting trees and expanding green space with an eye toward 50 and 100 years from now."