Korea National Arboretum: 88 extra weekend parking spaces — to 29 Nov, cars must book

According to the arboretum's own notices, 71,326 people came in October, more than twice September's 32,935. With autumn colour still on the trees into November, main car park bookings for weekends can go quickly, so the arboretum has opened the car park at its research building, a little way from the main gate, on weekends only. At Gwangneung, what you need to do depends entirely on whether you drive or take the bus, so that is where this starts.

How does the weekend overflow car park work?

• Booking route — on the arboretum's Korean website, Arboretum guide > Book > log in to the reservation service > "Research building car park booking (peak-season weekends)". Bookings opened on 28 September.
• Main car park first — the arboretum asks visitors to use the main car park when it still has spaces.
• Walking distance — it is about 15 minutes from the research building car park to the main gate along a boardwalk.
• No entry to the building — the research building itself is closed to visitors.

The press release says the arboretum also added 11 spaces this year to the 257 it already had, replaced its parking management system and introduced automatic parking discounts. It does not explain how the automatic discount identifies an eligible vehicle, so if you qualify for one, bring the paperwork.

If I could not book, do I have to leave the car behind?

Yes. The visitor information is blunt: a car without an advance booking cannot enter the car park at all and is sent back on the spot. Arrive on foot or by bus, on the other hand, and you simply buy a ticket at the gate.

How much are admission and parking?

Admission is KRW 1,000 for adults, KRW 700 for teenagers and KRW 500 for children. It is free if you are 6 or under or 65 or over, disabled, a person of national merit, from a family with several children, or a resident of nearby Pocheon or Namyangju, and free for everyone on Culture Day, the last Wednesday of each month. Cars pay a flat daily parking charge that depends on vehicle type, charged once the car has been in for more than 30 minutes; cars of disabled visitors and people of national merit park free. The rate for each vehicle type is in the table on the arboretum's Korean parking page.

What to check before a November visit

• Winter hours — from November the arboretum opens 9:00 am – 5:00 pm, and last admission moves an hour earlier to 4:00 pm.
• Closed on Mondays — every Monday.
• When booking opens — at midnight Korean time 30 days before your date, online only after signing up as a member. Older and disabled visitors who cannot book online can get help by phone on +82 31-540-2000.
• No-shows — if you cannot go, cancel before last admission on the day or the admission fee is not refunded.

What to look for at Gwangneung in autumn

Alongside the autumn leaves, look out for the fruit of the Korean pepper tree (chopi). The arboretum chose it as October's "garden plant of the month": its fruit ripens red in autumn and splits open to show glossy black seeds. The sharp, numbing scent of its leaves and fruit is why it has long been used as a spice.

For an easy walk, try the circuit around Yungnim Lake. The path round the water is level enough for pushchairs and wheelchairs, and from the shore and the slopes you can take in the colour across the whole forest.

Getting there without a car, and what to expect

Without a car you avoid the booking system entirely. From Seoul, take subway Line 1 to Uijeongbu Station and a local bus that stops at the arboretum entrance; allow about an hour and a half from central Seoul, and about three hours from Incheon airport. The reservation system and the arboretum's notices are in Korean only, and membership sign-up may ask for Korean identity verification that an overseas phone number cannot pass — another reason the bus is the practical choice. Expect the interpretation boards in the gardens to be mostly in Korean.