Tourists enjoy a clear view of Seoul's cityscape from the observation deck of N Seoul Tower in central Seoul, May 8. Yonhap
For residents of Seoul’s dense architectural core, the relentless landscape of Jung District offers little spatial reprieve. Yet looming just above the financial district's glass towers is a sprawling forest canopy. This year, local authorities are seeking to leverage that proximity to nature, transforming the southern slopes of Mount Nam into an expansive, open-air wellness sanctuary.
The Jung District Office announced it will run a suite of free forest leisure programs along the Namsan Sky Forest Trail through November. The initiative, which logged satisfaction rates as high as 97 percent among participants last year, seeks to alleviate urban burnout through specialized ecological therapy, organized trekking and youth sensory education.
At the center of this season's push is a newly minted forest therapy program led by certified instructors. Designed to lower stress and restore emotional stability, the sessions guide urbanites through barefoot trail walking, deep meditation and outdoor tea ceremonies. Operating four times a week on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, the program will temporarily pause during the punishing midsummer heat of late July and August.
