1.38 Million m² Sejong Central Park, from Jangnamdeul Plaza to the Pine Forest Barefoot Trail

How the 520,000㎡ first phase, opened on November 4, 2020, transformed an empty space in downtown Sejong

Sejong Central Park is located at 60 Junganggongwon-ro, Sejong-dong, Sejong Special Self-Governing City, and its first phase opened on November 4, 2020. The total planned area is 1.38 million㎡. The currently open first phase covers 520,379㎡, while the second phase, to be developed in the future, will cover 868,892㎡. The National Sejong Arboretum opened on October 17, 2020, and adjoins the central park. Including the approximately 700,000㎡ lake park, this creates an urban green corridor spanning roughly 2.73 million㎡.

The key point is that this park was designed as a neighborhood park for the new administrative city, rather than simply as a lawn plaza. The first phase includes the event space Jangnamdeul Plaza, the Family Leisure Forest and Family Art Forest, the Urban Festival Grounds, and a multipurpose sports facility. There are six buildings, including the Park Central Center, Urban Observatory, two restroom buildings, and two sports support facilities. If you plan to take a short loop around one area based only on the park's name, the walking distances may feel long for its size, so it is better to choose one main purpose first: walking, play, or exercise.

From 5 a.m. to 11 p.m.: The schedule to check first at this free park

Sejong Central Park is open year-round from 05:00 to 23:00, and admission is free. Park lights are turned on from 05:00 until before sunrise and from sunset until 23:00. Landscape lighting also operates from sunset until 23:00. For inquiries, contact the Sejong Facilities Management Corporation Park Management Division at 044-850-4370 or the Sports Facilities Operations Center at 044-850-4367~4368.

The floor fountains at Summer Pond, Cloud Pond, and the Musical Fountain operate at 12:30 on weekdays and at 15:00 and 17:00 on weekends and public holidays in May and October. During the hot-weather period from June through September, they operate at 20:30 on weekdays and at 19:30 and 20:30 on weekends and public holidays, for approximately 20 minutes each time. Schedules may change or operations may be suspended depending on weather and on-site conditions, so check the same-day notice if you are planning your visit around the fountain schedule.

• Official website: https://www.sjfmc.or.kr/sjpark/
• Park address: 60 Junganggongwon-ro, Sejong-dong, Sejong Special Self-Governing City
• Central Park Shop 1: Management Building Community Center, 12:00~18:00, with flexible seasonal hours
• Central Park Shop 2: Sports Facilities Building, 09:30~19:00, closed during severe weather such as rain, 044-862-9920

A leisurely route linking the Rose Garden, Honor Garden, and Pine Grove Garden

If your main purpose is walking, focus on the Rose Garden, Honor Garden, and Pine Grove Garden. The official guide map marks 29 points within the park, including the Korean Alphabet Garden, King Sejong Symbolic Plaza, Mugunghwa Garden, Metasequoia Forest, the Twelve Seasonal Divisions Pavilions, and the Veterans Plaza. Because of this, entering without a map makes it easy to go back and forth between the sports facilities and Jangnamdeul Plaza.

Pine Grove Garden has a barefoot walking path, and the Rose Garden is a themed area within the Family Leisure Forest. When using the barefoot path, do not rely solely on the availability of a place to wash your feet; it is advisable to bring a towel and spare socks. Bicycles and kick scooters must be used according to the safety rules, and pets must be kept on a leash with their waste properly disposed of.

One-Nori Madang and the Twelve Seasonal Divisions Pavilion: Where to go before the sports facilities when visiting with children

If you are visiting with children, making One-Nori Madang your first destination makes the route easier to understand. On the park map, One-Nori Madang is marked as number 14 and the Twelve Seasonal Divisions Pavilion as number 15. The play facilities include trampolines, aerial play equipment, combination play structures, crossing equipment, a space net, swings, and a sandpit. Follow the safety rules by staying away from moving swings and taking turns one person at a time on the aerial play equipment.

For stroller and wheelchair users, it is more practical to choose a specific destination, such as One-Nori Madang or Jangnamdeul Plaza, and make a round trip rather than attempting to tour the entire expansive park at once. There are 38 accessible parking spaces in the park, and regular vehicles may not park in spaces reserved for people with disabilities. Whether foreign-language information is provided on a regular basis could not be confirmed on the official page, so if necessary, contact the management division at 044-850-4370 before visiting.

Two soccer fields, 10 tennis courts, and a nine-hole park golf course: Check reservation requirements for sports facilities first

Sejong Central Park has 13 types of sports facilities, including soccer fields, baseball fields, a little league baseball field, futsal courts, tennis courts, foot volleyball courts, basketball courts, a park golf course, gateball courts, an RC car track, an extreme sports area, a running track, and a multipurpose field. Seven types, including the soccer and baseball fields, require reservations through Sejong City's integrated reservation system; the remaining facilities are available for free use. There are two soccer fields, one of which is used as the home ground of the Sejong City Sports Toto women's professional soccer team and therefore cannot be reserved.

There are 10 tennis courts, along with a center court and a recording room. The park golf course has nine holes: four short holes, four middle holes, and one long hole. The RC car track is an asphalt course with a total length of approximately 270 meters. Because of noise complaints, engine-powered RC cars are prohibited at the RC track, so you must bring an electric RC car. The 100-meter running track has six lanes, there are two futsal courts measuring 20m×40m, and two basketball courts measuring 15m×28m.

How to choose between Central Park Parking Lot 1, with 471 spaces, and Lake Park Parking Lot 1

Parking at Central Park totals 564 spaces, comprising 93 spaces within the park and 471 spaces in Parking Lot 1. Of the 93 spaces, 68 are for regular vehicles, 23 are accessible spaces, and two are electric vehicle charging spaces. Parking Lot 1 consists of 452 regular spaces, 15 accessible spaces, and four electric vehicle charging spaces. The official smart leaflet separately lists 239 parking spaces for Central Park, so you should consider both your destination area and the operating status of each parking lot.

For the Jangnamdeul Plaza side, meaning the Sejong Arts High School side, Lake Park Parking Lot 1 is closer. The Sejong Central Park Parking Lot 1 is closer to the National Sejong Arboretum and multipurpose sports facilities. From Daejeon, you can reach Parking Lot 1 via Bukyuseong-daero, Galmae-ro, and Junganggongwonseo-ro. From the Seoul metropolitan area, approach Parking Lot 2 via the Gyeongbu Expressway, Nonsan–Cheonan Expressway, Eomul Tunnel, Jeongan Sejong-ro, Doum 6-ro, Dasom 3-ro, and Doum 4-ro.

• Parking fees: Not confirmed in the official information
• Electric vehicle charging spaces: 6 in total
• Accessible parking spaces: 38 in total
• Recommended length of stay: 1–2 hours for walking only; half a day when using reserved sports facilities or combining the visit with the arboretum

The Sejong-dong park corridor accessible by B2, 801, and 221: Transfer tips for first-time visitors

For public transportation, choose your getting-off point according to your departure location. From Banseok Station in Daejeon, take B2, get off at Government Sejong Complex, and walk for approximately 10 minutes. From Jochiwon Station, take bus 801 and get off at Parking Lot 3. From Sejong Express Intercity Bus Terminal, take bus 221 and get off at the National Sejong Arboretum, Sejong Central Park stop.

From Gongju, travel by bus 108 to Gaon Village Complexes 6 and 9, then transfer to bus 203, 204, or 222 and get off at the National Library of Korea, Sejong. Alternatively, transfer from the Jangun Township Office to bus 52 or 53 and get off at Parking Lot 3. Since the park is not a tourist attraction directly in front of a railway station, plan for bus transfer times, and when returning home, head toward the bus stop before the park lights go out at 23:00.

What order to follow when combining the National Sejong Arboretum and Sejong Lake Park in one day

Sejong Central Park adjoins the National Sejong Arboretum and is also connected to Sejong Lake Park, so it is more efficient to view the three as one urban green corridor rather than traveling between them separately. From Central Park, the side toward the arboretum is close to the multipurpose sports facilities and Parking Lot 1, while the Jangnamdeul Plaza side is close to Sejong Arts High School and Lake Park Parking Lot 1. Therefore, after visiting the arboretum, proceed through the Central Park sports facilities and Rose Garden toward the lake park to reduce backtracking.

In the evening, Central Park's landscape lighting is on from sunset until 23:00. However, Central Park Shop 1 is open from 12:00 to 18:00 and Shop 2 from 09:30 to 19:00, so if you plan to stay late, it is better to prepare water and light snacks in advance. If you are visiting the expansive park for the first time at night, follow the illuminated walking routes, and check the official website notices again before departing for the individual operating status of the fountains, events, and sports facilities.