Yeouido Saetgang Ecological ParkClaimed by the owner

Yeouido Saetgang Ecological Park runs along the saetgang (a side channel of the Han River) from behind the National Assembly on Yeouido to the middle of Gayang Bridge. The park was built around the existing natural environment, with stands of willow, reeds, and silver grass left in place, and it sits in the middle of Seoul's building-lined skyline. It is reachable on foot from Yeouido Station (Seoul Subway Line 5, Exit 1), about 700 meters away.

Layout and facilities

The park includes a bicycle path, walking trails, two parking lots, five bridges, two plazas, an information center, a lawn area, a park golf course, an ecological waterway, an iris garden (changpowon), a willow grove, a water purification garden, and a silver grass marsh, along with an enclosed wetland area. Groundwater drawn from a nearby subway line feeds a stream waterfall and ponds, and wetland plants such as cattail, water dropwort, and pickerelweed were planted around them to help improve water quality. The information center houses a learning space, a room for ecological programs, and a firefly-breeding enclosure, and the park runs guided ecology talks, nature observation, and nature-play programs.

Plants and wildlife

Wildflowers grow across the park's open fields, and the saetgang itself is home to fish such as Korean chub, minnow, and crucian carp. Reeds and silver grass grow thickly along a 6-kilometer walking trail, where signboards identifying native plants are placed at intervals of 20 to 30 meters. Species recorded in the park include the common kestrel, a natural monument, along with spot-billed ducks, gray herons, violets, and Eurasian watermilfoil. To limit disturbance to the plants and animals, the park has no benches, shops, or streetlights. It is open year-round, though parts of it may be closed during animal breeding seasons.