Forest Secrets From South Korea: A Photo Essay
This month we present a visual photo essay that takes you on a journey to the forests and cities of South Korea. These photos will give you a glimpse of the challenges that societies face in the age of technology. They also present inspiring nature experiments that offer hope for a better future for all of us.
This adventure was made possible by Chungnam National University’s, international conference of forest therapy and world forest therapy festival in South Korea. Special thanks to Prof. Bum Jin Park for inviting us to be a part of the event.
*TIP: If you are reading this photo essay on a phone, please rotate your phone sideways 🔄 to get the best view of the pictures and text on your screen.
Dawn at Daejeon City
South Korea is known as the land of morning calm. Daejeon city located in the center of the country is also the home of Korean Forest Welfare Institute. It’s an ambitious initiative to connect citizens in different stages of life with nature and spread health, happiness, and harmony across the country.
Hard working Koreans going back home after work.. late at night on a Saturday
South Korea has achieved one of the world’s fastest economic growths. Despite the economic growth, the happiness and life satisfaction levels among people are quite low. The high cost of living, and long working hours puts South Korea with the lowest fertility and marriage rate in the world.. for the last 10 years. (source)
The Dance Of Life
Gaming and internet addiction are major issues amongst the younger Koreans. Surrounded by screens with high speed internet, they are engulfed in the virtual world, and slowly the connection with the natural world is diminishing.
Two Old Friends In Time
By 2025, people aged 65+ will make up over 20% of South Korean population, making the country a super-aged society. An increase in elderly population puts pressure on the nation’s finances and also creates the need for better health care systems. Self-care and preventive health care have become extremely important, and the forests of Korea provide an interesting pathway.
The Beauty of Korean Forests
64% of land in South Korea is covered in beautiful forests. But not so long ago most of these lands were barren. War, occupation by foreign powers and dependence on the forests for sustenance had devastated the forests and wildlife.
Energy Spine Mountain
It took over 30 years of hard work to bring the forests back. From 1970- 2000, massive reforestation projects were carried out across the country. Running along the length of Korea are the ranges of timeless Baekdu-Daegan mountains. Now covered in lush forests filled with aromatic Hinoki trees, they provide a comforting escape from the rush of the city lives.
Billions of Korean Won have been invested in creating world-class facilities across the country, so that people can benefit from the healing effects of nature.
The concept of forest welfare in Korea was effectively introduced in the 2000s. Since then it has evolved into a wonderful set of programs designed by stages of our life cycle.
For a detailed article check out our full post at:
https://healingforest.org/2023/11/27/forest-photo-essay-from-south-korea/
Bonus: Garden Meditation,
A Poem by Reverend Max Coots (1927-2009):
Let us give thanks...
For generous friends... with hearts as big as hubbards and smiles as bright as their blossoms;
For feisty friends as tart as apples;
For continuous friends, who, like scallions and cucumbers, keep reminding us we had them;
For crotchety friends, as sour as rhubarb and as indestructible:
For handsome friends, who are as gorgeous as eggplants and as elegant as a row of corn -- and the others -- as plain as potatoes, and so good for you.
For friends as unpretentious as cabbages, as subtle as summer squash, as persistent as parsley, as delightful as dill, as endless as zucchini, and who -- like parsnips -- can be counted on to see you through the long winter;
For old friends, nodding like sunflowers in the evening-time, and young friends coming on as fast as radishes;
For loving friends, who wind around as like tendrils, and hold us despite our blights, wilts, and witherings;
And finally, for those friends now gone, like gardens past, that have been harvested - but who fed us in their times that we might have life thereafter;
For all these we give thanks.