#Garden of Choices
2023.02.13
Part 2. Landscape architect Jung Young-sun, President of Seo-Ahn Total Landscape
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.
This part reveals the second story of our first interviewee, landscape architect Jung Young-sun, president of Seo-Ahn Total Landscape. Let’s explore the hidden stories behind Amorepacific landscaping projects 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 (hereinafter referred to as pen name Jangwon(粧源): The source that looked after and cared for).
Landscape Architect Jung Young-sun is the first graduate of Seoul National University’s Graduate School of Environmental Studies and the first female land development technician in Korea. Her title of being the first as a Korean landscape architect
and female landscape architect shows how she has taken bold steps to take on challenges for her dreams. From the very early days after resigning from her job as a professor and establishing Seo-Ahn Total Landscape, landscape architect Jung Young-sun
has worked on various projects with many companies, especially with Amorepacific. From Osan Botanical Garden to Jeju Osulloc Teastone, Innisfree Jeju House and Amorepacific’s Headquarters in Seoul, the landscape design of Amorepacific’s major spaces
known to be well harmonized with nature have all passed through her hands.
Jung Young-sun looking at the blueprint of
Amorepacific Botanical Garden
You have collaborated with various companies, but especially with Amorepacific. What did you feel as a landscape architect while working with Amorepacific?
Since Amorepacific is a company that started with flowers and plants, it almost seems like it was god’s will for me to work with Amorepacific (laugh). I really enjoyed working on the projects. I know very well that Amorepacific is deeply interested in plants such as medicinal herbs, cosmetics ingredients and green tea. I believe one of the most important legacies out of the countless legacies Jangwon left behind was his dream for a “botanical garden”. It seems like his sincerity towards plants became the solid foundation for Amorepacific today.
Hand drawn and colored blueprint of
Amorepacific Botanical Garden by Jung Young-sun
Can you tell us more about Jangwon? I'm also curious about the level of social interest towards nature at the time. It seems like there wasn’t much awareness around the relationship between nature and humans back then.
At the time, Korean entrepreneurs including Jangwon poured their heart and soul into making our country greener, even paying out of their own pockets. They spread awareness about the importance of planting trees to their employees and the public. If it weren’t for their efforts, we wouldn’t have the lush, beautiful landscape we see today. There weren’t many trees at the time even though Korea was a mountainous country, and the continuous war had ravaged most of the existing trees to make matters worse. Trees were being cut down to be used as firewood during the war-battered times since briquettes weren’t around back then. Despite efforts to plant trees on one side whilst cutting them down on the other, it was a very difficult time to make the country greener.
What role did Jangwon play during such times?
The government worked hard on their part, hosting Arbor Day events and such. But Jangwon was a true pioneer who had a profound interest in plants and recognized the importance of planting trees, leading by example. The foundation he created back then
is nothing short of incredible today. The foundation he created, and seedlings he planted have all grown fully and densely.
When I look at how Amorepacific has nurtured plants for all this time, it makes me think that Amorepacific’s unwavering calling has always been to believe in the infinite power of nature and plants and to imbue the world with beauty that blossoms
from such power. I think such heritage has continued from the founding ideology of Jangwon.
The late founder Jangwon Suh Sung-whan
in the tea fields of Jeju
One of the main anecdotes that reveal Jangwon’s love for plants and visionary mind is the story of cultivating tea fields in Jeju Island.
Many people know that there’s green tea in Hadong, and that it grows best there. Although Jeju’s climate and soil are suitable for growing tea, nobody really dared to cultivate green tea in Hadong because the soil was so barren. But Jangwon achieved that. Can you imagine just how much effort he put in to cultivate those fields? It shows his challenger spirit. If you visit Osulloc today, you have to stand in a never-ending line just to get in. He made cosmetics, snacks and even icecream out of green tea. He looked ahead of the times, straying away from the narrow mindset that green tea must only be drunk as tea. . I think that Amorepacific continues to develop to this day because of such open-mindedness that breaks away from stereotypes.
Jeju Island tea fields under cultivation in the early 1980s(above), Amorepacific Jeju OSULLOC Tea Museum(below)
Also, how was the garden in Amorepacific’s headquarters created? It’s very much loved by Amorepacific employees. And what’s the story behind the Su(water, 水) space in the Amore Garden on the 5th floor?
I heard about plans to create a garden when the famous British architect David Chipperfield and other globally renowned architects were talking about the design of the building. As I thought this over whilst hearing them talk, I realized that the 5th
floor of the headquarters building would play a more important role than the greenery along the roads.
I figured that Amorepacific employees would spend more time and rest more on the 5th floor compared to the 1st floor, which is why I thought it would be a good idea to create a beautiful space there. That is how the Amore Garden Su(water) space came
about. I also made a pond so people could fully relax.
The process of creating Amore Garden on the 5th floor of Amorepacific headquarters
What was your biggest concern when creating Amore Garden? And how did you decorate the courtyard?
During construction, I was worried that the sun wouldn’t really reach the 5th floor. So during the early stages of construction, I went ahead and got some Mountain Korean maples which grow well in the shade. It’s difficult to get bigger trees that are shaped beautifully if you don’t get them ahead of time, and you end up with ones looking like chopsticks. I searched across the country to find the best Mountain Korean maples. During the 5~6 years it took to complete construction, I finished potting the trees in advance. When you do this and plant the trees in a new garden, it instantly makes the garden look mature. I also planted trees that live in higher altitudes on the upper floor (11th floor) and plants that lived in even higher mountains on a floor higher than that (17th floor) so that people could feel the subtle changes in scenery according to differences in heights.
Amorepacific’s Amore Garden, present
Out of all the AMOREPACEFIC projects you’ve worked on, which one is closest to your heart?
I really can’t choose if you put it that way.(laugh) In a sense, all of them are like my babies I need to look after. I feel good when I look at Amorepacific’s headquarters, because where else would you find such marvelous headquarters? From the outside, you wouldn’t ever think that Amorepacific’s headquarters are this green and blue with such happy employees. More than anything, I’m proud to have contributed even just a little to making Jangwon’s dream of creating a botanical garden come true through Osan Botanical Garden.
Please tell us more about Osan Botanical Garden.
Amorepacific Osan Botanical Garden1
There are some places in France that are similar to a raw ingredient botanical garden. But they mostly just have a few main cosmetics raw ingredients planted here and there.
Osan Botanical Garden is the first raw ingredient botanical garden to have all the flowers, medicinal herbs of Korea as well as the flowers, medicinal herbs and grains from overseas.
Of course there’s medicinal plant botanical gardens, but
none of them are really organized enough to be open to tourists. In that sense, Amorepacific’s Osan Botanical Garden is truly the one and only botanical garden in the world that grows and introduces plants used as cosmetics ingredients.
The garden shows just how long Amorepacific has been sincere towards plants. I think that this heritage is very much something to be proud of and talk about.
Amorepacific Osan Botanical Garden2
It seems like Osan Botanical Garden became even more meaningful because of Jangwon’s dream for a botanical garden.
Amorepacific Osan Botanical Garden3
At the time, Jangwon had big dreams of enriching the industry and culture based on the power of plants. That’s why he was so focused on looking after plants. Jangwon’s profound interest in plants led to the cultivation of tea fields in Jeju Island
and the creation of diverse tea cultures to enjoy green tea. And now, his dream has been passed on to Amorepacific, which continues to blossom.
Even when everyone dissuaded him and there weren’t any immediate profits to reap, Jangwon’s great courage, devotion and wisdom to think ahead ultimately led to the creation of Jeju Island tea fields, and such values became the fertile soil that helped
Amorepacific flourish.
If Jangwon was alive today, what would you want to say to him?
The importance and value of plants were planted in Amorepacific because of Jangwon. Because the seeds he planted continued to grow, I can always work with respect and gratitude in landscaping projects with Amorepacific. It’s always a joy for me to work with Amorepacific. So, if he were alive today, I would like to thank him sincerely as another plant lover.
What would it be like if landscape architect Jung Young-sun and Jangwon could transcend time to meet and have a conversation. They would probably meet in Osan Botanical Garden, since Janwon long dreamt of creating a botanical garden.
What would Jangwon say, as they stroll through the botanical garden and other Amorepacific’s gardens designed by landscape architect Jung Young-sun? It seems that in the imaginary conversation, landscape architect Jang Young-sun would ask Jangwon about the vitality of the Jeju tea field and his bold choice and courage that imbued life to such field, and Jangwon would thank her for Osan Botanical Garden, which is the fulfillment of his long-time dream.
What would Jangwon say, as they stroll through the botanical garden and other Amorepacific’s gardens designed by landscape architect Jung Young-sun? It seems that in the imaginary conversation, landscape architect Jang Young-sun would ask Jangwon about the vitality of the Jeju tea field and his bold choice and courage that imbued life to such field, and Jangwon would thank her for Osan Botanical Garden, which is the fulfillment of his long-time dream.
Jung Young-sun in her office
at Seo-Ahn Total Landscape
Photo / Provided by Seo-Ahn Total Landscape, Amorepacific Space Planning Team
Editor/ Rawpress
General Planning/ Amorepacific Communications Team
*Seo-Ahn Total Landscape’s main projects: http://www.satla.co.kr/bbs/group.php?gr_id=Projects
*The entire interview, video and manuscript is copyrighted by News Square.
Editor/ Rawpress
General Planning/ Amorepacific Communications Team
*Seo-Ahn Total Landscape’s main projects: http://www.satla.co.kr/bbs/group.php?gr_id=Projects
*The entire interview, video and manuscript is copyrighted by News Square.
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