With Cheong Wa Dae having served as the office and residential compound for 12 former South Korean presidents, one tradition remained constant: planting commemorative trees at the compound.

There are 35 such trees planted by the presidents who have ruled the country.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced Friday it will offer a guided tour of presidential trees starting the following day as part of its year-round program to mark the first anniversary of opening up the compound to public access.

The move followed the relocation of the presidential office by President Yoon Suk Yeol to a former government building south of Cheong Wa Dae in the capital in May last year.

Participants in the program can see 10 trees selected from the 35 while hearing intriguing stories related to the presidents who planted them from a guide, according to the ministry.

The guidance will be provided based on “Cheong Wa Dae’s Trees,” a 2022 book written by Park Sang-jin, an honorary professor at Kyungpook National University and the country’s top expert on trees in the compound.

The tradition of planting trees at Cheong Wa Dae started with former President Rhee Syng-man in March 1960. Since then, numerous presidents have continued the tradition, ranging from planting commemorative trees to incorporating trees into the landscape design.

During a press tour of the program, Park stated that Rhee is presumed to have planted many fir trees across the country while in office, apparently to promote the nationwide forestation campaign led by the government. This campaign was under way as about half of the mountains in the country remained treeless after the 1950-53 Korean War.

However, the 25-meter-high fir tree, slightly over 70 years old, located in the valley near the Sangchunjae building at Cheong Wa Dae, is now the only remaining commemorative tree planted by the former president, as the rest were destroyed during the war, according to Park.

With its wooden plate rotted away, the professor had a hard time locating the whereabouts of the tree inside the compound. But a photo from the National Archives provided a decisive clue, he said.

“I’m really happy to find the only tree of President Rhee,” he said proudly.

Former President Roh Tae-woo planted a Korean fir tree in the space between the main building and the grand garden on Arbor Day in 1988, bidding the country a successful hosting of the Seoul Olympics that was held later that year. He apparently believed the tree would bring fortune to the country as its scientific name, “Abies koreana,” includes the word “koreana,” Park said.

Former President Kim Dae-jung planted a mugunghwa, or the rose of Sharon, tree at a garden in front of the Yeongbingwan state guest house after returning from the first inter-Korean summit in June 2000 in Pyongyang to mark the event. Park said the president apparently wanted to put an emphasis on patriotism following the historic summit talks through the choice of the country’s national flower.

Also among the trees planted by former presidents are a torulosa tree planted by Park Chung-hee, a white pine tree by Chun Doo-hwan, a dogwood tree by Kim Young-sam, a pine tree by Roh Moo-hyun, a mugunghwa tree by Lee Myung-bak, a fringe tree by Park Geun-hye and a camellia by Moon Jae-in.

Of the 12 former presidents who resided at Cheong Wa Dae, President Yun Bo-sun is the only one without a memorial tree. President Choi Kyu-hah’s memorial tree was excluded from the tour because it is located outside the area that is open to the public, according to the ministry.

The one-hour tour will be offered twice a day, except Tuesdays when Cheong Wa Dae closes — at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. The tour starts at the Sangchunjae building and concludes at Yeongbingwan. All visitors to Cheong Wa Dae can participate in the program without a reservation.

Source: Yonhap News Agency