The Korea Times
A vibrant forest has momentarily taken root in Gwanghwamun Square at the heart of the capital. The Korea Forest Service and the Korea Forestry Promotion Institute launched the 2026 Forest Food Festival earlier this week, transforming the historic square into a sprawling marketplace for the nation’s seasonal mountain delicacies. The event serves as the physical centerpiece of a monthlong campaign to promote the culinary and medicinal value of Korea’s forest products. As spring reaches its peak, the festival offers urbanites a rare chance to source premium wild mountain herbs directly from the growers who cultivate them. The opening ceremony featured an unlikely culinary duo: Park Eun-sik, administrator of the Korea Forest Service, and Cho Hee-sook, the esteemed chef often hailed as the "Godmother of Hansik" (traditional Korean cuisine). Together, they led a demonstration showcasing the health benefits and gastronomic potential of forest-grown ingredients. Attendees were treated to tastings of modernized Korean dishes featuring foraged mountain greens, elevated from rustic mountain st
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