Special Feature Suwon's Landmark 'Arboretum'... Establishing Itself as a 'Healing Retreat' Where Music Flows

[News S=Reporter Jung Jun-sung] Suwon's Ilwol Arboretum, beloved as an arboretum in the heart of the city, has been selected as one of ‘10 must-visit arboretums in 2026.’ It confidently earned a spot among 10 national arboretums recommended by the Korea Forest Service based on the theme of arboretums to visit with family. That is not all. Suwon's Younghung Arboretum was selected in 2024 by Gyeonggi Province and the Gyeonggi Tourism Organization as a ‘Gyeonggi Unique Venue’ (an infrastructure facility with distinctive attractions and characteristics that provides unique experiences and enables international MICE events). This recognition highlights the advantage of experiencing Suwon's local characteristics in a mountainous arboretum, establishing it as a venue suitable for international events. In this way, within three years of opening, Suwon's arboretums have grown into confident landmarks for the city. Let us examine their achievements.

◇1.63 million visitors to Ilwol and Younghung Arboretums over three years

Suwon's Arboretums officially opened in May 2023. Ilwol Arboretum held its opening ceremony on the 19th, and Younghung Arboretum on the 20th, opening a day apart.

After more than eight years of construction and preparation beginning in 2015 when the arboretum development project started, they welcomed citizens with open arms.

Over three years since opening, a total of 1,638,242 visitors have been recorded at Suwon's Arboretums.

In 2023, 505,000 visitors; in 2024, 529,000 visitors; in 2025, 428,000 visitors; and as of May 20 this year, 174,000 visitors have enjoyed Suwon's Arboretums.

By month, visitors surge in May and October when outdoor activities are most pleasant, with 70,000 to 100,000 people visiting Suwon's Arboretums.

The annual membership ticket subscription rate operated by Suwon's Arboretums has also remained steady.

The number of individual or family memberships registered totaled 3,303 cases and 5,193 people over three years.

Among these, 22 people registered as lifetime members, demonstrating their affection for Suwon's Arboretums.

Comparing usage trends between the two arboretums, overall visitor numbers are generally higher at Ilwol Arboretum.

However, the proportion of Suwon residents and repeat membership cases are significantly higher at Younghung Arboretum.

Ilwol Arboretum has good transportation accessibility and is flat in layout, making it convenient for travel, attracting many outside visitors.

Younghung Arboretum, developed as a mountainous forest area, shows higher usage by nearby residents.

Notably, last year marked the first instance of local organizations and businesses purchasing group admission tickets (100 tickets).

The Suwon Comprehensive Childcare Support Center and Samsung Display each purchased 200 tickets in bulk for employee and member welfare, demonstrating the arboretums' expansion potential.

◇ ‘Ilwol,’ a must-visit destination; ‘Younghung,’ a special unique venue

Suwon's Arboretums are coloring the daily lives of Suwon's citizens.

A place where one can marvel at the beauty of nature by viewing Suwon's plants and rare species each season, it has established itself as a healing retreat in daily life hosting diverse exhibitions, education programs, art and experience activities, and events. First, Suwon's Arboretums have conducted differentiated exhibitions suited to each arboretum's characteristics.

Ilwol Arboretum has held a total of 33 exhibitions focused on plant-related displays featuring Suwon's history and regional character, while Younghung Arboretum has held a total of 30 exhibitions themed on spreading and promoting garden culture.

Special exhibitions connecting historical figures such as King Jeongjo and Jeong Yak-yong, who are deeply related to Suwon, with plants, as well as exhibitions themed on masterpieces and fairy tales, have attracted family visitors.

Interpretation programs that allow deeper exploration of the arboretums and linked programs that expand exhibition meanings have been actively operated over 2,500 times over three years.

Appropriate programs for each season, holidays, and other occasions have added joy to arboretum visits.

Suwon's Arboretums open at night in spring and autumn, allowing visitors to experience more of the arboretums' freshness, and have also operated diverse cultural events such as garden concerts.

With diverse exhibitions, educational programs, experiences, and cultural events, Suwon's Arboretums have garnered attention as a place leaving beautiful memories for citizens and tourists visiting Suwon.

◇Securing rare plant genetic resources including crane orchids

Every summer, there is a special plant that can only be encountered at Suwon's Arboretums.

The ‘crane orchid,’ which blooms with delicate white flowers resembling a crane's wings and has high ornamental value, is rarely seen because it is an endangered plant.

Suwon's Arboretums collaborated with the Korea National Arboretum at opening to transplant propagated crane orchids to an alternative habitat within the arboretum, contributing to the preservation of biodiversity.

Thanks to thorough management of growth environments and ongoing care, the first blooming occurred last year.

Anyone can now appreciate the beautiful appearance of crane orchids in the heart of the city.

In this way, Suwon's Arboretums are focusing efforts on securing and managing plant genetic resources, the arboretums' unique function.

The plant collection started with 2,840 species and 573,288 individual plants in 2023 and has consistently increased the variety and number of plants.

Plant resources from the local area such as Gwanggyo Mountain are directly collected, and various plants are purchased and introduced.

Through donations, distribution, and propagation, a total of 3,303 species and 814,305 individual plants (as of the end of 2025) have been secured.

Additionally, active exchanges have taken place with national-level plant repositories such as the Korea National Arboretum and National Institute of Ecology, as well as related institutions including the National Baekdudaegan Arboretum and Hwanghaksan Arboretum in Yeoju.

These have been opportunities for other regions' successor trees and seeds to take root in Suwon, and for Suwon's plants to become established in other regions.

Building on these efforts, Ilwol Arboretum, which has secured 67 rare and endemic species, was designated last August by the Korea Forest Service as a national rare and endemic plant conservation institution, enabling it to serve as an ecological conservation hub.

◇Greatly improved accessibility; visitor convenience enhanced for ‘greater enjoyment’

Suwon's Arboretums have enhanced visitor convenience and created a culture developed together with citizens.

Ilwol Arboretum is an arboretum everyone can use equally.

It has received ‘Barrier Free Certification’ for accessible living environments, improving convenience for people with disabilities, pregnant women, and children.

Overall slopes are reduced, and elevators, deck walkways, audio guidance signage, and tactile maps are available.

It is recorded as the first public arboretum nationwide to receive Barrier Free certification.

Suwon's Arboretums have attempted various participation policies to involve residents in co-creation.

A prime example is the recruitment and operation of ‘Susurang’ volunteers, an abbreviation of ‘Suwon Arboretum and.’

Currently, approximately 356 volunteer members of Susurang are participating in maintaining and cultivating the arboretums and working as citizen interpreters.

A newsletter called ‘Suda’ serving as a communication channel for Susurang has been issued, further strengthening bonds.

Additionally, space has been provided for citizens with high interest in the arboretums and local culture to perform.

Last year, the lawn plaza and visitor center were opened for 10 resident performance groups, showcasing diverse performances including acoustic guitar, choral singing, and dance.

This year, through public recruitment, the genres and number of performances have been expanded, with a total of 18 teams performing on spring and autumn weekend evenings with performances suited to the arboretum atmosphere.

The arboretums are also taking the lead in expanding garden and plant culture to various parts of the region.

With garden culture promotion as its vision, Younghung Arboretum is operating ‘Visiting Saebit Garden Consultation Rooms’ with experts.

Conducted 11 times, nearly 4,000 Suwon residents have received convenient assistance nearby.

◇Suwon's Arboretums stand tall as landmarks and source of pride for Suwon

Suwon's Arboretums have earned recognition for various achievements both domestically and internationally, becoming a source of pride for Suwon.

First, they have received various commendations from national institutions and others.

Ilwol Arboretum received the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Award in the Cultural Landscape category at the 2023 Korea National Land Grand Exhibition.

Subsequently, Ilwol Arboretum received the Korea Forest Service Commissioner Award at the 13th Korea Landscape Awards, with outstanding achievements from the first year of operation.

In June last year, at the 11th World Congress on Plant Education held by the International Plant Conservation Union for the first time in East Asia, Suwon's Arboretums' exhibition education and citizen participation models were introduced as exemplary cases, attracting attention from botanical gardens and arboretums worldwide.

On the second anniversary of opening, a symposium was held under the theme ‘Connecting People and Nature,’ establishing a foundation for building plant governance.

Domestic and international benchmarking visits continue incessantly, with approximately 150 visits by some 2,000 people to tour and study the plants and buildings of Suwon's Arboretums.

Additionally, major events and meetings of Suwon City have been held at Suwon's Arboretums, strengthening their public function.

The arboretums have been introduced to foreign dignitaries visiting Suwon for sister city or international events, promoting the excellence of Suwon's plant culture and policies.

Suwon's Arboretums are attempting a major transformation to increase citizen satisfaction.

The plan involves integrated operation with park spaces such as Ilwol Lake Park next to Ilwol Arboretum and Younghung Forest Park surrounding Younghung Arboretum to expand plant culture content.

Additionally, there are plans to provide green cultural services linked to plants to firmly establish them as healing spaces in daily life.

In particular, efforts will focus on enhancing brand value to enable Suwon's Arboretums to emerge as tourism hubs as Suwon pursues the ‘Suwon Visit Year 2026-2027.’

A Suwon City official stated, “Suwon's Arboretums will continue to operate diverse exhibitions and programs and make efforts in systematic management of plant resources,” and added, “We will make endless efforts to develop them into a vibrant green cultural complex space in the city that continues through its centennial.”