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Notice·Korea National Arboretum

The Korea National Arboretum shuts for three days over Chuseok, then opens free on the 27th

Kang Shin-wookPublished 22 September 2026Updated 21 September 20264 sources checkedEditorial policy이 글을 한국어로 읽기

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Summary

The arboretum closes from 24 to 26 September 2026 for its twice-yearly forest rest period, then waives admission on Sunday 27 September, the last day of the holiday. The free day does not waive the parking rule: if you drive you still need a reservation and still pay to park. The forest museum is shut for refurbishment until December and will not be open either.

Article

In short

  • The arboretum is closed from Thursday 24 to Saturday 26 September 2026 for its forest rest period.
  • On Sunday 27 September, the last day of the holiday, admission is free for everyone.
  • Free admission does not mean free parking or no booking: drivers still need a reservation and still pay the parking charge.
  • The forest museum is closed for refurbishment until December and will not be open on the free day either.
A dirt path running between dense trees in the Gwangneung forest, the canopy thick with green leaves.
The Gwangneung forest, where the Korea National Arboretum sits. Photo: Korea Tourism Organization, An Yeong-gwan (안영관)

Twice a year, at Seollal and at Chuseok, the Korea National Arboretum closes for three days and calls it a forest rest period. It is not a staff holiday in disguise: Gwangneung is old-growth woodland protected as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, and the closures are part of the same management logic as the daily visitor cap. Then, on the last day of the holiday, it opens and charges nothing.

The exterior of the Korea National Arboretum building, surrounded by trees.
The Korea National Arboretum from outside. Photo: Korea Tourism Organization, An Yeong-gwan (안영관)

The free day, and what it does not cover

27 September, by how you arrive

By car
Parking reservation still compulsory. Unbooked cars are turned away. Parking charge still payable
On foot or by public transport
No booking. Up to 4,500 people on a Sunday
Admission
Free for everyone. Normally KRW 1,000 for adults, KRW 700 teenagers, KRW 500 children
Last admission
5:00pm, April to October
Not open
The forest museum, closed for refurbishment
The Chuseok closure and free-admission notice banner as posted on the Korea National Arboretum website.
The Chuseok notice banner on the arboretum's own website (low-resolution original). Photo: Korea National Arboretum · Original

The distinction between admission and parking is the one that catches people. The reservation system controls vehicles, not people, so waiving the entrance fee changes nothing about it — and a free day is exactly when the parking allocation goes fastest.

A rest area inside the Korea National Arboretum, benches set under the shade of trees.
A shaded rest area inside the arboretum. Photo: Korea Tourism Organization, An Yeong-gwan (안영관)

The forest museum is out until December

It has been closed for refurbishment since May 2026 and is due back in December. If it was the reason for your trip, wait. The forest itself, the gardens and the trails are unaffected.

An indoor gallery at the forest museum, lined with wooden exhibits and specimen cases.
Inside the forest museum — photographed before it closed for refurbishment, so it is not what you can see now. Photo: Korea Tourism Organization, An Yeong-gwan (안영관)

What the rest period is protecting

The Gwangneung forest was set aside as a royal burial ground in the fifteenth century and never logged, which is why it is still old-growth temperate woodland rather than plantation. That five-hundred-year accident of protection is what the daily cap, the vehicle quota and these twice-yearly closures exist to preserve. Reading the rules as obstruction rather misses what they are for.

A close view of a Korean fir branch with short, densely packed needles.
A Korean fir in the medicinal plant garden. Photo: Korea National Arboretum
A bumblebee gathering nectar on a mountain hydrangea flower.
A bumblebee on a mountain hydrangea in the ornamental garden. Photo: Korea National Arboretum
A fledgling daurian redstart perched on a branch, still downy.
A young daurian redstart in the medicinal plant garden. Photo: Korea National Arboretum
A Korean squirrel gripping a tree trunk with its head raised.
A Korean squirrel near the Gwangneung forest bridge. Photo: Korea National Arboretum
A red skimmer dragonfly resting on a grass stem at the water's edge.
A red skimmer in the aquatic plant garden. Photo: Korea National Arboretum

Frequently asked questions

Q. When is the arboretum closed over Chuseok?
From Thursday 24 to Saturday 26 September 2026, for its forest rest period. It reopens on Sunday 27 September, the final day of the holiday.
Q. Which day is free?
Sunday 27 September. Admission is waived for everyone — normally KRW 1,000 for an adult, KRW 700 for teenagers and KRW 500 for children.
Q. Do I still need a parking reservation on the free day?
Yes, and you still pay to park. The booking system controls vehicles rather than admission, so waiving the entrance fee changes nothing about it, and a free day is when the parking allocation goes fastest.
Q. Can I go without a car?
Yes, and it sidesteps the booking entirely. Arriving on foot or by public transport needs no reservation, with a cap of 4,500 visitors on a Sunday or public holiday and 3,000 on a weekday.
Q. Is the forest museum open?
No. It has been closed for refurbishment since May 2026 and is due to reopen in December, so it will not be open on the free day. The gardens and trails are unaffected.

Sources

  1. Official notice (Korean)
  2. Official page (Korean)
  3. Official page (Korean)
  4. Official page (Korean)
Official notice (Korean)

Written in our own words from the sources above, never copied from them, and every date and price checked against at least two pages. The originals are in Korean. Spotted a mistake? Ask for a correction.

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