Overview
Maehon Citizens' Forest is the first park in Korea to introduce the concept of forest, featuring dense forests rarely seen in urban areas. Ahead of the 1986 Asian Games and the 1988 Olympics, the park was developed to improve the environment around the Yangjae tollgate, which was then the gateway to Seoul. The park is planted with 250,000 trees of 70 species, including pine, zelkova, daple, horse chestnut, and pine. On the northern side of Maeheon-ro, there are many families visiting for outings with their kids, including the Maeheon Yun Bong-gil Memorial Hall, a floor fountain, and a children's playground. In the southern area, there is the Guerrilla Baekma Unit Chung-Hon Tower, the memorial tower for Korean Air Flight 858, which was blown up in a North Korean terror attack over the Andaman Strait in Myanmar in 1987, the memorial tower built to comfort the victims and families of those who died in the 1995 Sampoong Department Store collapse, and the Umyeonsan Mountain Landslide Victims Memorial Monument. In particular, Maehon Citizens' Forest District 3 was developed into a cultural and arts park by Seocho-gu, consisting of a play yard, outdoor performance hall, various special exhibition halls, a sculpture park, and a meeting plaza. Performances and exhibitions are held here, making it a new attraction in Seocho-gu, a district proud of its cultural autonomy. Each space creates a unique atmosphere, making it a place loved by many citizens.