Seoul Int'l Garden Show draws 2.5 mil. visitors in 20 days, boosts local spending

The 2026 Seoul International Garden Show has attracted more than 2.5 million visitors in its first 20 days, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said Wednesday, with data showing the event is generating a measurable boost to the surrounding local economy. The show opened May 1 at Seoul Forest and reached 1 million visitors within six days — five days faster than last year's edition at Boramae Park, which drew a total of 10.44 million visitors. Organizers expect this year's event to again surpass 10 million visitors before it closes Oct. 27. City data showed the daily average residential population in the Seoul Forest and Seongsu-dong area rose 20.4 percent during the show's first 10 days compared with April, with weekday figures up 25.1 percent. The single busiest moment came at 2 p.m. on opening day, when 76,000 people were counted in the area simultaneously. The surge in foot traffic translated directly into higher commercial activity. Average daily credit card spending by Korean nationals in Seongsu-dong jumped 31.5 percent over the prior month, with the number of transactions rising

Original source: Korea Times