Fmr. military garrison in Seoul transforms into a Children's Garden, marking President...

Fmr. military garrison in Seoul transforms into a Children's Garden, marking President Yoon's first inauguration anniversary

윤 취임 1주년 앞서 용산미군기지 '용산어린이정원'으로 재탄생

Nearing the first anniversary of President Yoon Suk Yeol's inauguration, a public garden for children has opened near the leader's office in Yongsan.
It used to be a military compound, which South Korean citizens were prevented from going into for over a century, but now it will be open for the public.
Our correspondent Oh Soo-young gives us a preview of the garden.

A scenic space to find freedom, openness and peace of mind.
Seoul is opening a large public garden in the central district of Yongsan, in place of a former military compound that shunned South Koreans from its gates for over a century.
President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday hosted an outdoor lunch for media at the Pine Grass lawn within the Yongsan Children's Garden ahead of its official opening at 2 PM on Thursday.
Dedicated to future generations, Yoon said he envisioned the garden as a place for children to run and play freely on the grass.


"Thursday's opening comes just a few days before the first anniversary of President Yoon's inauguration. The timing highlights the South Korean leader's push for freedom and openness, as he expressed willingness to schedule more time with media to freely communicate, and asked them to cooperate on building a brighter future for the nation."

Located in front of the Presidential Office with the National History Museum to its side, the garden represents Yoon's pledge to communicate with and be closer to the people when he relocated his office to the Yongsan District.
The opening of the garden gates is also historically significant for South Koreans.
The 230-thousand square meters of greenery is now being returned to the Korean public after it was occupied for 120 years, first by Imperial Japanese troops who installed the main entrance, then gradually converted into a U.S. military base upon South Korea's liberation in 1945.
Soon it will be open to all, featuring a huge lawn area as its centerpiece, with a sports field to its east.
To the west, a trail of houses with red tile roofs, formerly home to U.S. military officials, stretches from the main entrance.
Key locations include archives, a library, and a hall that unwinds the location's decades of history in photos and records from Japan's brutal colonization to the years of war between the two Koreas, bringing visitors to the present day, where South Korea stands as a liberal democracy.

To mark the launch of the garden, the exhibition hall will hold a light-themed display, and children's football and baseball games will kick off on the opening day.
The opening hours are 9 AM to 6 PM, with prior reservation required for first-time visitors.
Reservations can be made on the Yongsan Children's Garden website five days in advance for Korean citizens and 10 days for foreign visitors.
Oh Soo-young, Arirang News.

#President #YoonSukYeol #garden #Yongsan #YongsanChildrensGarden #children #square #opening #openingday #윤석열 #용산 #용산미군기지 #용산어린이정원 #정원 #어린이 #오프닝 #오프닝데이 #Arirang_News #아리랑뉴스

📣 Facebook :   / arirangtvnews  
📣 Twitter :   / arirangtvnews  
📣 Homepage : https://v2.arirang.com/
📣 News Center(YouTube) :    / newscenter_arirangtv  

2023-05-02, 21:00 (KST)