Part 1. Landscape architect Jung Young-sun, President of Seo-Ahn Total Landscape

#Garden of Choices

2023.02.20

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https://stories.amorepacific.com/en/part-1-landscape-archit

What is the chance of a seed separated from a tree grows into a tree again? A journey of a seed to reach the unreached always begins with a bold decision. A blade of grass, a flower and a tree all embody an attitude for life that helps us to look into ourselves. There is one person who carefully listened to these stories of plants to achieve his own dreams. In 1960, a massive violet lavender field the late founder of Amorepacific Suh Sung-whan experienced during an inspection trip to Europe further reinforced his belief in the power of plants. He began his business with flowers and plants and dreamed of introducing the most Korean cosmetic products, serving tea that represents Korea, and even more, opening a botanic garden to offer a place to rest. These dreams are still ongoing within us. After all, plants have been the source of a forest called Amorepacific. The [Garden of Choices] project believes in the infinite value and power of plants and aims to look back on the path Amorepacific has walked and capture the bold choices and journeys it has taken. We hope that all of us who are struggling every day in our own place to make difficult decisions, whether big or small, can find the courage to move forward.

As the first story, we introduce a master of landscaping who believed in the power of plants and created her own universe with bold choices. Landscape architect Jung Young-sun who recognizes trees, flowers, and even a single blade of grass as valuable living organisms and has created gardens that are organically perfected over time tells us her story and the story of Amorepacific.

Landscape Architect, Green Healer in the Pandemic Era

As we approach the endemic era, millennials and Gen Z who prefer offline experiences are now moving beyond the cozy gardens they created in their homes to large, beautiful gardens nurtured by experts. It has also become a trend for them to visit places like Seoul Botanic Park, Dior Seongsu, and piknic exhibition for healing and contemplation in beautiful gardens and capture the memories in pictures. Who is the landscape architect behind these spaces so loved by millennials and Gen Z? Many would think it is some hip and stylish young landscape architect. However, the person who has tickled the fancy of millennials and Gen G is Jung Young-sun, widely known as a first-generation landscape architect. It seems that the seasoned expertise of true expert cannot stay hidden.

(Clockwise from top-left) piknic rooftop garden (source: piknic)

Dior Seongsu’s garden, a view of Seoul Botanic Park

You are the first female technician to graduate from the Graduate School of Environmental Studies at Seoul National University. As much as your amazing career, the landscaping projects you have worked on so far, such as Seoul Arts Center, Seonyudo Park, piknic, Dior Seongsu, and Amorepacific’s Headquarters, are also massive in size. You must be living proof who has led the history of landscaping in Korea.

For a long time in Korea, ‘landscaping’ has been mostly landscaping projects by public institutions. The major focus of landscaping works has been about which street trees to plant and what to plant underneath them. For a long time in Korea, ‘landscaping’ has been mostly landscaping projects by public institutions. The major focus of landscaping works has been about which street trees to plant and what to plant underneath them. Large-scale landscaping projects centered on street trees were ongoing for a while, and then the focus started to shift towards flowers little by little. Wildflowers were also planted in large numbers in some cases. As the field of landscaping started to expand, we began to include a space with flowers more and more rather than just trees or shrubs, which created a new demand for gardens.

Jung Young-sun in her office at Seo-Ahn Total Landscape

So, gardens gradually took root in Korea as people wanted to plant flowers.

At that time, there were already many people who had studied gardening in the U.K. returning to Korea. Cities wanted to plant a lot of flowers to make urban spaces look beautiful, and people who planted flowers moved to the cities, so garden designing and landscaping developed explosively during this time. The development was due to the attention paid to flowers, rather than a step-by-step growth of Korea’s traditional landscaping, and I am not saying that is a bad thing. If it pleases the eyes of people, then it is meaningful and good in itself too.

Millennials and Gen Z are visiting the spaces you worked on such as Dior Seongsu, House of Sulwhasoo Bukchon, OSULLOC Tea House, etc., and they are crazy about these places. It is said that the younger generation feels ‘healed’ in a garden, so to speak.

A view of House of Sulwhasoo Bukchon and OSULLOC Tea House

I have received a lot of feedback that people feel at peace and restored in the numerous parks and gardens I have worked on. In every park and garden, and even in a small backyard you look after, plucking out weeds, watering plants or watching birds around you can make you feel at peace and healed when you are sad or heartbroken. Then it becomes a healing garden. I think that is the power of plants and the power of gardens. I believe the younger generation is naturally feeling and looking for the power of plants. That must be why they keep visiting gardens.

I understand that you planted a lot of flowers in Seonyudo Park you designed. I wonder what kind of space you wanted Seonyudo Park to be.

Not just for Seonyudo Park, but for other works by Seo-Ahn Total Landscape, whether it is a park, garden, or street landscape, you can see many flowers planted with various themes. I heard that a woman went to Seonyudo Park to end her life but came back thinking she should live. And I am so grateful for that. I think cities should have different types of parks. Parks are not just for sitting on a mat, eating a lunchbox, or riding a bicycle. I want parks and gardens to be free spaces where people who use it can pray if they want, and rest if they want.

Seonyudo Park / source: official website of Seonyudo Community Park (left), official website of Korea Tourism Organization (right)

You are well known for persuading people to create an ecological park in Saetgang, which was to be turned into a soccer field and a large parking lot. It is such a famous anecdote, but can you tell us what happened once again?

I participated in the Saetgang Project as a member of the Han River Advisory Committee. They said they would fill a part of Saetgang (a branch of the Han River) to build a soccer field and a large parking lot. I was so shocked. I took the head of the Han River Management Office for a walk around Saetgang and told him I would like to change the design. I even recited a poem titled ‘Grass’ by poet Kim Soo-young.

The grass lies down/ Waving in the east wind that drives the rain/ The grass lay down/ And finally cried/ After crying the more because the day was gray/ It lay down again.//The grass lies down/ Lies down faster than the wind/ Cries faster than the wind and/ Rises before the wind does.//The day is gray and the grass lies down/ To the ankles/ To the soles of the feet it lies down/ Though it lies down later than the wind/ It rises before the wind/ Though it cries later than the wind/ It laughs before the wind does/ The day is gray and the grassroots lie down.// ＜The Complete Works of Kim Soo-young＞, (Minumsa Publishing Company, 2015)

I read this poem to him and explained how great it would be if flowers, wetland plants and willows suitable for Saetgang grow. I then added it would be meaningful for the future generation and Han River to create an ecological park in Saetgang with calm water because there are already so many soccer fields everywhere. When it comes to the usage of the land, I told him that he needs to see far ahead and think about what kind of land our descendants would live on. He then told me to do as I want (laughs).

I guess there were many realistic issues in creating Saetgang Ecological Park. It could have incurred unexpected costs.

The head of the Han River Management Office actually asked me about the cost. I felt a bit responsible since it was me who proposed the idea. So, I suggested that I would not get paid a penny and that we should invite experts such as an ornithologist, entomologist, ichthyologist, and botanist instead to get sufficient consultation to create a park that can save nature. That was how Saetgang Ecological Park was created.

Saetgang Eco Park under construction (top) Eco Park in 1998 (middle) Eco Park in 2002 after completion (bottom)

You sound very nonchalant about it, but it feels like such a bold move. Where do you get the courage to make bold decisions like that?

In fact, it is not easy to convince every client. But at least I was confident I could prove it with quality. That eventually became a source of great courage for me to persuade others.

To get a little bit deeper, what does nature mean to you?

Nature is what makes up a garden and it is something that must be respected. Flowers bloom in spring, trees get greener in summer, leaves change colors in autumn and in winter, they fall as if nothing happened. We have to respect these changes. The more you appreciate nature, the more stories it shares with you, and the more you understand nature, the more it gives. As poet Na Tae-joo said, “You have to look closely to see that something is pretty.” But nature is pretty even without a close look (laughs).

Seoul Botanic Park’s ‘Garden of Invitation’ and scenery in autumn

It may be because you love nature and respect nature when you work, but it feels somewhat noble that you still work manually with your hands.

Hand-drawn blueprint by Jung Young-sun (left), sketching tools (right)

Even now, I do not use a computer to draw a blueprint. I hate drawing with machines. You need a computer-generated floor plan for construction, so I ask my staff to make a computer version of the hand-drawn blueprint. But those computer-generated images have no humanity at all. It does not feel the same. On the ground, I work with my own hand-drawn blueprint until the end. And even now, I spend almost all of my time at work sites.

Are there any aspects that you still consider important for landscaping?

Unlike architecture, in landscaping, whether it is a park, green area, river area, or mountain, the plants you planted today are not going to stay the same. It does not even last a month. They continue to change from the moment you plant them. The most important thing in landscaping for me is understanding changes over time and harmonizing the sizes of plants. For example, if you decide to plant flowers that bloom in a particular season, there will be no flowers in the next season after those flowers wither. You have to anticipate seasonal changes in your design - what it will look like in early spring, what conditions it will be in early summer, and what it will be like in fall and winter. And it needs to be constantly maintained and taken care of.

Sceneries of Jung Young-sun’s home garden 1

I can feel your sincerity towards plants, treating every single blade of grass and every weed as a valuable living being.

I have to pluck a weed because it is a weed while saving a flower because it is a cute flower. So, I always say sorry when I pull out weeds (laughs).

Jung Young-sun, working on her own home garden

The more I listen to your story, the more it seems that your philosophy of landscaping is connected with time.

The concept of landscaping as an exhibition lacks the notion of time. It just needs to be displayed as it is. When I watch an ever-changing view, sometimes I lose myself in their (plants) time. I plant strawberries just about anywhere. I think strawberries are delicious when planted in a strawberry field, but the color of strawberry leaves is so pretty when they turn colorful. They are really healthy once planted. If I get hungry while working, I can eat them too (laughs). The leaves are pretty in autumn, and in summer, you can make delicious juice. The flower is pretty and the fruit is also pretty. It is about respecting and bringing out various aspects of nature that change with the passage of time as much as possible.

I am also curious about your private garden. I heard that you have a small garden of your own at home in Yangpyeong. Please introduce it to us.

I planted pasqueflowers near the front door in my garden. They are such beautiful flowers. No one pays money to plant pasqueflowers. But they are so pretty. Pasqueflowers fly away, but the seeds cannot fly far at first. With time and with the wind, pasqueflowers gradually spread throughout the garden, so it is fun to see all of that there.

Sceneries of Jung Young-sun’s home garden 2

Seeing the plants you plant, it seems that you have a special affection for Korea’s native species.

In the early 1970s, I went to Germany alone to see a garden show. I looked around all day and it was full of Korean flowers. Flowers that were not even regarded as flowers in Korea were proudly tagged as ‘Korea’, and it felt like I was hit in the head. I was embarrassed that I did not know how important Korean flowers were and only looked for foreign flowers. It was an opportunity to redirect my study on flowers. It does not make sense that people in Korea do not know about Korean flowers that are recognized abroad. Native False Goat’s Beard, for example, is so pretty when they form a colony on the hillside. I think we still need to protect things that are native even amid globalization. Amorepacific is a company rooted in flowers and plants. Based on such sincerity towards plants, I believe that Amorepacific will be able to play a good role not just in Korea but in the world in the future.

Flowers in the piknic rooftop garden (source: piknic)

We need a garden to relax with nature even if it is a small space, especially in a desolate city center with a concrete jungle. Landscape architect Jung Young-sun does not intentionally create the scenery of a garden essential to modern population. She only hopes that the trees, flowers, and grass she once planted will grow naturally over time and a new story will grow along with them.

Jang Yeong-sil and Jiphyeon-dang spaces on the 21st floor of Amorepacific

Without excessive and over-decoration, a beautiful garden to her is a garden that is naturally completed over time. Because for her, the key to landscaping is ‘time’. The bold choices made by landscape architect Jung Young-sun so far stem from ‘accepting something natural as it is’.

In Part 2 of the interview with landscape architect Jung Young-sun, we will explore the projects of Amorepacific she participated in and look through the heritage of Amorepacific, which has maintained its sincerity towards plants since its beginning with the founder Suh Sung-whan.

Photo / Provided by Seo-Ahn Total Landscape, Amorepacific Space Planning Team Editor/ Rawpress General Planning/ Amorepacific Communications Team *The entire interview, video and manuscript is copyrighted by News Square.

#Garden of Choices

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Part 1. Landscape architect Jung Young-sun, President of Seo-Ahn Total Landscape

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