[‘그린스완’시대, 숲이 경쟁력이다] Part 3 〈4〉 Hyundai Baek Carbon Neutral Project
Hundreds of Maple and Plum Trees in Idle Space… Cheongju Ligrin Park, a New ‘Hot Place’
2,200 Seoul citizens and park afforestation
In Yongin, a 50,000-pyeong forest is being created… When 30,000 trees are planted, 84 tons of carbon will be absorbed annually
‘Leegreen Park’ in Cheongwon-gu, Cheongju-si, Chungcheongbuk-do, in the afternoon of the 9th. It is a 250㎡ (approximately 75 pyeong) garden located in the middle of the city. There are hundreds of young trees that have not yet fully grown, such as maple trees, metasequoias, zelkova trees, poplar trees, and Japanese apricot trees. People were sitting on benches in groups of two or three, chatting between the trees. Couples taking pictures with the mist fountain and rocks in the background were also seen. Mr. Lim Jeong-hyeok (29), an office worker who works nearby, said, “I often use it as a place to rest during lunch hours,” and “I feel more relaxed because there is green space within the city limits.”
● Abandoned factory in the middle of the city transformed into a forest
Regin Park is located in the complex cultural space ‘Dongbu Warehouse’ in Naedeok-dong, Cheongwon-gu, Cheongju-si. Dongbu Warehouse has recently emerged as a ‘hot place’ in Cheongju by remodeling a closed cigarette factory into a shopping mall and a nearby warehouse building into a cultural space such as a museum. There are also office buildings and schools nearby.
Regin Park is a former outdoor tobacco leaf storage facility of the old Cheongju Tobacco Manufacturing Plant that is now useless, and has been transformed into a resting space in the city. Hyundai GF Holdings, the holding company of Hyundai Department Store Group, created it in April with the Forest of Life Foundation. The fact that a small but pretty forest was created in the middle of the city is a hot topic in the neighborhood. Of course, many people who live far away come here after hearing about it.
Hyundai Department Store Group is restoring abandoned spaces in local communities in an eco-friendly way as an extension model of its eco-friendly business, ‘Carbon Neutral Forest.’ Cheongju’s ReGrin Park is the first garden created by this project. A Hyundai Department Store Group official said, “We will continue to participate in urban forest development by consulting with other local governments in the future.”
The urban garden project that Hyundai Department Store is currently working on in major parks in Seoul is also a project in the same vein. The unique feature is that it allows citizens to directly participate. Hyundai Department Store has been promoting the ‘Seoul Maitree My Tree Project’ with Seoul City since February. The cost is shared equally between customers and Hyundai Department Store.
The project is being carried out in 11 locations: Bukhansan Dream Forest, World Cup Park, Yongsan Family Park, Jungnang Camping Forest, Gyeongchun Line Forest Road, Yulhyeon Park, Cultural Reserve Base, West Seoul Lake Park, Seonyudo Park, Seoul Botanical Garden, and Amsa History Park. Information facilities have been installed around the trees planted through donations so that citizens can directly check the related information. This is a device for expanding the project. According to the company, 2,200 customers have participated so far and planted a total of 3,000 new trees.
● Providing opportunities for eco-friendly activities to secure citizens’ right to health
Hyundai Department Store Group’s initiative to create a forest in the city began with the company’s concerns about what it could do right away, with the goal of ‘creating a global environment for future generations.’ In the end, it was decided to create a green space in the city center, where most of the people spend their days.
Korea is considered one of the countries with a shortage of green space in the city center due to compressed growth and rapid industrialization. Experts explain that creating green space in various parts of the city is not only related to responding to the climate crisis, but also to citizens’ right to health. Professor Kim Ho of Seoul National University’s Graduate School of Public Health, who conducted research on the level of green space around residential areas and health, emphasized that “green space in the city center increases healthy behaviors that help with sleep and acts as a buffer against environmental factors such as air pollution and heat waves.” He added that “there are also research results that show that even if it is not as large as Central Park in New York, having small green spaces in various parts of the city is helpful to citizens.”
Urban forests also have a messaging effect. They can elicit sympathy and participation from various stakeholders for eco-friendly values. If projects that directly involve citizens in eco-friendly activities, such as Hyundai Department Store Group, increase, we can expect to see an expansion of eco-friendly culture in everyday life.
● Creation of 50,000 pyeong of forest with the Korea Forest Service
Hyundai Department Store Group is also working with the Korea Forest Service to create a large-scale forest. The project name, Carbon Neutral Forest, is an afforestation project that means reabsorbing carbon dioxide emitted through daily life and industrial activities.
Hyundai Department Store Group signed a business agreement with the Korea Forest Service in 2021 and has been planting trees to create a forest in Cheoin-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do since the following year. It planted about 25,000 trees with excellent carbon dioxide absorption capabilities, such as chestnut trees and zelkova trees, in a 16.5ha (approximately 50,000 pyeong) national forest. The goal is to plant about 30,000 trees by 2025. The company estimates that if the forest is created as planned, it will absorb about 84 tons of carbon dioxide annually.
Hyundai Livart, a furniture manufacturing and distribution subsidiary within the group, is also operating a forest the size of 12 soccer fields in cooperation with the Korea Forest Service. In 2009, Hyundai Livart planted 5,000 pine trees on 39,669㎡ (approximately 12,000 pyeong) of land in Pyeongtaek-si, Gyeonggi-do. It is a scale that can absorb more than 40 tons of carbon per year. In 2022, Hyundai Livart will create an additional 49,586㎡ (approximately 15,000 pyeong) forest in Yangju-si, Gyeonggi-do, planting cherry trees, zelkova trees, etc., and share it with the local community and citizens.
Reporter Kim Eun-ji [email protected]
Cheongju = Reporter Jeong Seo-yeong [email protected]
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2024-09-23 05:41:24