"Spend a special time with your family this May at arboretums where you can experience forests and gardens together."
The Korea Arboreta and Gardens Institute announced Thursday that it will operate a variety of experiential and cultural programs for families at the Baekdudaegan National Arboretum, Sejong National Arboretum, and Korea Native Plants Arboretum throughout May.
The Baekdudaegan National Arboretum will host the spring festival "Baekdu Ga Bom" from May 1 to 5. The festival, whose name carries the meaning "spring has come to the arboretum" along with a message inviting visitors, is centered on family participation programs.
Visitors can explore the forest through mission-style experiences such as "Find Today's Baekdu Squirrel" and the "Tiger Quiz Contest," and enjoy various activities including making flowerpots and crafting character key rings. During the festival, Baekdudaegan National Arboretum will be open free of charge, and about 20 programs will be offered.
At Sejong National Arboretum, a "Night Garden" will unfold with an atmosphere entirely different from daytime. The arboretum has prepared the nighttime opening program "Woori Hamkke Ya" from May 2 to October 31 (suspended July 3 to August 1).
The nighttime opening runs every Friday and Saturday from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., offering a distinctive viewing experience in gardens where lighting blends with darkness.
Visitors can freely explore the Four Seasons Exhibition Greenhouse, Korean Traditional Garden, Festival Yard, and Eum Garden. The Korean Traditional Garden, in particular, stands out as a signature space where nighttime scenery is highlighted.
Experiences for family visitors have also been prepared. On Saturdays, free hanbok rentals are available at the Korean Traditional Garden for memorable photos, and emotional lantern rentals turn nighttime strolls themselves into an experience. Every Saturday at 7 p.m., cultural performances and flea markets are held together, transforming the entire Sejong National Arboretum into a complex cultural space.
The Korea Native Plants Arboretum will host a "Flower Week" event from May 15 to 25, themed around Korea's rare and endemic plants. During the event, pressed flower exhibitions, flower frame-making experiences, insect specimen exhibitions, participatory programs, and special commentary on the value and importance of conserving rare and endemic plants will also be offered.
At the National Garden Culture Center's Gallery Greenhouse, the crossover exhibition "Between Viewing Bonsai" will run through June 8. The exhibition reinterprets the traditional value of bonsai from a contemporary perspective and offers hands-on content such as "Make Your Own Bonsai."
May is also a time to reflect on the meaning of biodiversity. May 22 is the International Day for Biological Diversity, designated to raise awareness of the importance of conserving biological resources and their sustainable use.
The Korea Arboreta and Gardens Institute has designated May 30 as "Seed Vault Day," drawing inspiration from the goal of "ex-situ conservation of 30% of global wild plants by 2050," and will run family participation programs to mark the occasion.
The Baekdudaegan Global Seed Vault is a facility that stores wild plant seeds from around the world long-term to prepare for crises such as climate change. Designated as a national security facility, it has until now been closed to the general public.
The "Seed Vault Expedition" family camp, held over two days from May 26 to 27, offers a once-a-year opportunity to visit the seed vault, which is normally off-limits. Participants will tour the Baekdudaegan National Arboretum area together and stay at a training facility, experiencing the importance of biodiversity more vividly.
"We have prepared various programs to provide families with time to stay and learn together in nature," Korea Arboreta and Gardens Institute Chairman Shim Sang-taek said.
