Seoul has suffered from a serious misconception of the meaning of real estate. It seems as if green space was deemed a waste in the building of houses and offices throughout the city. The are big parks, of course, but along most streets trees are not at the center at all. But we have seen over the last few years efforts to introduce plants at stores, in the metro, in every corner of the city. Often the efforts seems spontaneous. There is a buried lover of plants and agriculture in Korea. Getting away from green was part of moving from the agricultural to the industrial economy. For the reason, neighborhoods should look green, but not too green. But at the same time, there is a nostalgia for the agricultural past just beneath the surface of Korea.
Of course, the plant are often placed in a make-shift manner, suggesting they can disappear at any moment.
Emanuel Pastreich