Sejong travel guide: Government city wins over travelers with gardens, ‘padak’

Say “administration” and most people picture rigid bureaucratic culture and stuffy offices — everything a vacation is not. If you believe a travel destination must be a “city of love,” a “fashion capital” or at least a coastal or historic hub, a city built from scratch to house government ministries should be the last place you book for a weekend trip. For visitors, the city defies expectations on arrival. Sejong is an easy city to travel in, where the plain traditions carried over from Jochiwon, Sejong’s older town center, sit comfortably beside the tidy greenery of a planned city. The city’s designers ran a central green axis north to south through the downtown core, and the National Sejong Arboretum anchors it, cooling the urban heat island effect and handing residents a forest they can reach on foot. Sejong Lake Park sits next door. Together they provide a feast for the eyes, and the Sejong Traditional Market satisfies the palate. Sejong landmark The Sejong National Arboretum is the country’s third national arboretum, after the Korea National Arboretum in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province

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