Cherry blossoms attract 8.62 mil. to Seokchon Lake

Cherry blossoms are in full bloom at Seokchon Lake Park in Songpa District, Seoul, April 6. Yonhap

Approximately 8.62 million people visited Seokchon Lake Park and the surrounding area in southeastern Seoul during the two-week cherry blossom season this year, cementing the area's status as one of Korea’s premier springtime tourist destinations.

Songpa District Office said Thursday that the figure covers the period from April 2 until last Sunday — from the start of this year’s Seokchon Lake Cherry Blossom Festival to when the petals began to fall. The number was based on data analysis conducted in collaboration with SK Telecom, KB Kookmin Bank and KB Card to study local commercial trends.

The 285,757-square-meter Seokchon Lake Park is a scenic urban oasis, renowned for its cherry blossoms and as the gateway to Lotte World Adventure, the city’s largest amusement park. It’s also a favorite spot for walking, jogging and enjoying nature in the heart of the city.

While it’s difficult to determine the exact number of foreign tourists who visited the area during the period — since most don’t use SK Telecom or KB Kookmin Bank cards — the district office said Japanese visitors topped the list at 10,441, based on available data.

They were followed by visitors from Taiwan, China, the Philippines, Mongolia and Indonesia, reflecting strong interest from across Asia in Seoul’s cherry blossoms.

Total sales near the park reached 28.6 billion won ($20.17 million) during the period, according to the data. Of that, 19.7 billion won came from Lotte, the nation’s sixth-largest conglomerate, which operates a massive commercial hub in the area.

This was followed by popular food alley Bangimatgol, which recorded 5.03 billion won in sales.

The district attributed the park’s rise as a major tourism spot to its expanding cultural infrastructure. Alongside long-standing venues like Seoul Nori Madang, which hosts traditional performances on an outdoor stage, new attractions include the district-run Gallery HOSU and the large-scale media art exhibition space Lake Bridge Gallery.