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Seoul Botanic Park named national hub for rare, endemic plant conservation
The greenhouse at Seoul Botanic Park / Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government
By Park Ung
Seoul Botanic Park on Friday held a plaque ceremony marking its designation as a national conservation institution for rare and endemic plants, joining a small group of facilities tasked with safeguarding Korea’s plant genetic resources.
Designated by the Korea National Arboretum, “national rare and endemic plants conservation organization” status is granted to arboretums that manage at least 30 rare or endemic plant species and employ at least two professional curators to support plant genetic resource conservation and research.
Nationwide, 31 institutions hold the designation, with Seoul Botanic Park becoming the second in the capital after Pureun Arboretum.
Located in the southwestern Gangseo District, Seoul Botanic Park opened in 2019 and has built ex situ, or off-site, conservation capacity by conducting ongoing research on native plants.
The park currently maintains around 6,600 plant genetic resources, including rare and endemic species designated by the Korea Forest Service.
Building on that role, it plans to strengthen management and research for long-term preservation, expand cooperation with domestic and overseas institutions, and showcase conserved species in themed gardens alongside biodiversity education programs.
“Beyond displaying plants, Seoul Botanic Park aims to educate people about species disappearing due to extreme weather and human needs, and why they must be preserved,” said Park Soo-mi, head of Seoul Botanic Park.
“We will expand opportunities for citizens to see rare and endemic plants firsthand while highlighting the importance of nature and biodiversity,” she added.