The opportunity to hold weddings in national park forests is expanding.
Starting this month, the Ministry of Environment and the Korea National Park Service noted that the target audience for the 'national park forest wedding' has been expanded to include engaged couples and citizens wishing to take wedding photos. Previously, forest weddings were only available to certain groups such as youth and multicultural families.
The number of wedding venues will increase from the existing 9 ecological exploration centers to a total of 14, adding 5 beautiful locations within national parks.
The newly added forests are Naejangsan Maple Ecological Park, Woraksan Mansuro Natural Observation Trail, Deogyusan Deogyudae Camping Ground, Palgongsan Gatbawi Native Plant Garden, and Gyeryongsan Ecological Exploration Center.
To address concerns over transportation inconvenience for guests attending forest weddings, free shuttle bus service will also be provided between the wedding venues and the nearest station (KTX) and bus terminal.
In addition to weddings, responding to the demand of engaged couples wishing to take wedding photos, 44 beautiful national parks will be newly introduced as 'forest wedding photo spots.'
If wedding photo sessions are reserved in advance, vehicle access for wedding photography will be permitted under the guidance of Korea National Park Service staff.
Information on applications and registrations for the national park 'forest wedding' and 'forest wedding photo spots' will be made public through the Korea National Park Service website starting from the 5th.
Kim Tae-oh, director of the Ministry of Environment's Natural Conservation Bureau, said, 'I hope the national park forest wedding and wedding photo spots will establish themselves as a new way to enjoy national parks, and we will continue to expand various programs that allow everyone to enjoy national parks.'