Seoul Forest Pokemon Waiting Guide: What to Know About Pokemon Secret Forest Crowds

The Seoul Forest Pokemon waiting situation became a major point for visitors after large crowds gathered around the Pokemon Secret Forest area in early May 2026. The installation is part of Pokemon Mega Festa 2026 and is connected to the 2026 Seoul International Garden Show at Seoul Forest Park, where Pokemon Secret Forest was scheduled to operate from May 1 to June 21, 2026.¹

For anyone planning a visit, the key issue is not just whether the garden exists, but how crowding has affected access. Reports from May 1 described sudden congestion in Seongsu and near the Seoul Forest Pokemon event area, including temporary suspension of some activities for safety reasons.²

Seoul Forest Pokemon Waiting: What Happened in Early May

Pokemon Korea’s 30th anniversary project brought Pokemon-related events to several Seoul locations, including Seoul Forest Park, Seongsu-dong, Ttukseom Hangang Park, and COEX. The Seoul Forest component is Pokemon Secret Forest, also described in Korean coverage as a Pokemon garden or “Pokemon Secret Forest” concept within the garden festival.¹

The first major crowd warning came on May 1, 2026. Korean Economic Daily reported that visitors surged around the Seongsu area during the Pokemon 30th anniversary project, with some events suspended after police began on-site control. The crowding was linked in part to participation in the “Seoul Stamp Rally Event.”²

Pokemon Korea posted that the event was temporarily suspended “for safety reasons due to the current large crowds.”² Segye Ilbo carried a similar official wording, reporting that the event was temporarily suspended because of safety concerns caused by heavy crowds.³

The scale of congestion was significant. Segye Ilbo, citing Seongdong Police Station and related information, reported that several safety-concern calls were received in the Seongsu area on the morning of May 1. Police deployed about 90 personnel near the Seoul Forest Pokemon event booth, and there were no injuries reported at the time of that coverage. Seoul City estimated that the crowd around Seongsu Cafe Street rose from about 26,000 people at 10 a.m. to around 40,000 near noon.³

For visitors, that means the most important lesson from the opening period is to treat the Seoul Forest Pokemon area as a high-demand attraction, not a casual drop-in stop. Even if the garden itself is part of a broader public festival, crowd management can affect whether a specific activity, booth, or line is open when you arrive.

What Visitors Can Expect at Pokemon Secret Forest

Pokemon Secret Forest is listed in Seoul City’s 2026 Seoul International Garden Show event guide as one of the character pop-up gardens, with Pokemon Korea named as the operator. The same guide also lists other character pop-up gardens, including LEGO Botanical Garden and Kakao Friends Fairy Friends Garden.⁴

The garden’s appeal is visual and character-focused. Financial News, carrying a News1 report, said the Seoul Forest ginkgo forest area included more than 10 Pokemon sculptures, including Pikachu and Eevee evolutions. The report described the space as a “Pokemon Secret Forest” concept created through collaboration between Pokemon Korea’s 30th anniversary project and the Seoul International Garden Show.⁵

Waiting remained an issue even after the May 1 opening-day surge. Dong-A Ilbo reported that on May 3, visitors stood in long lines in the rain at the 2026 Seoul International Garden Show site to enter the Pokemon Garden Secret Forest created by Pokemon Korea. The same report noted that a large crowd on May 1 had led to suspension of activity at this corner, with police and fire authorities dispatched.⁶

Because the sources do not provide a reservation system, ticket price, exact daily operating hours, or a guaranteed queue process for Pokemon Secret Forest, visitors should not assume that a fixed waiting time applies. The available information supports only a more cautious reading: the attraction drew heavy enough crowds to cause temporary interruption on May 1, and long lines were still reported on May 3.⁶

Practical Planning Before You Go

Start by checking the date window. Pokemon Secret Forest was announced for May 1 to June 21, 2026, at Seoul Forest Park as part of Pokemon Mega Festa 2026.¹ However, the broader 2026 Seoul International Garden Show was reported separately as running for 180 days through October 27, 2026, with 167 gardens across the Seoul Forest area.⁵ That distinction matters: the larger garden show schedule is not the same as the confirmed Pokemon Secret Forest operating period reported for the Pokemon attraction.

Next, plan around crowd risk. The opening-day reports show that Seongsu-area crowding can build quickly, especially when related events such as a stamp rally draw visitors into the same district.² Since police control and temporary suspension were both reported, arrival alone does not guarantee immediate access to a Pokemon booth, garden corner, or related activity.

It is also useful to separate the garden from the wider Pokemon Mega Festa 2026 program. Pokemon Korea’s 30th anniversary events were spread across Seoul, including pop-ups, a running event, sports day programming, and competitions in different locations.¹ A crowd report about Seongsu or a stamp rally may not apply equally to COEX or Ttukseom Hangang Park, but it does show why Seoul Forest visitors should check the specific site they intend to visit.

Finally, approach the visit with flexible timing. Based on the reported long lines and temporary interruption, visitors interested mainly in photos of the Pokemon garden should allow extra time and be ready to adjust plans if entry is paused. The source material does not confirm whether merchandise sales, original Pokemon Store goods, or specific character displays are available at every moment of the operating period, so those details should be treated as subject to on-site conditions.¹

작성자 소개

Patrick Choi

Administrator

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