Dunamu to hold 'Digital Healing Garden Competition'

Dunamu, the operator of Upbit, the country's No. 1 virtual asset (cryptocurrency) exchange, announced on the 24th that it will hold the 2025 Digital Healing Garden Space Model Proposal and Content Development Competition (hereinafter the Digital Healing Garden Competition) with the Korea Arboretum and Garden Management Service.

The digital healing garden is a virtual forest and an immersive healing space that Dunamu created with the motto "forests and gardens for everyone." It recreates forest scenery through an LED media façade and adds sensory elements such as sound, scent, and temperature to provide psychological and emotional healing experiences as if being in an actual forest. It aims to realize nature's vitality through digital technology and create a sustainable restorative cycle between humans and nature.

The competition was planned to further expand the healing effects of the digital healing garden. Individuals or teams may participate, including students and experts in related fields such as IT, landscape architecture, and medicine, startups, and anyone interested in healing and recovery derived from nature.

The competition topics are two areas: space/model proposals (proposals for new digital healing garden spaces that combine technology and gardens) and content/program development (development of technology-based healing and experience programs).

The "Space/Model Proposal" category requires design ideas that implement original healing garden space infrastructure using immersive digital technologies or integrate various technologies and equipment. The "Content/Program Development" category includes programs that combine ICT technologies and natural garden healing elements, interactive experience content, and on-site operational programs.

The competition will proceed in the order of first document screening, mentoring, second presentation (PT) evaluation, and awards. Participants who pass the document screening can develop their ideas through mentoring from experts in technology, landscape, forestry, and psychology, and the final winners will be selected through the presentation evaluation. The total prize money is about 20 million won, and awards including the Korea Forest Service Commissioner Award, the Seoul Mayor's Award, the Dunamu CEO Award, and the Director Han Su-jeong Award will be presented. Winning works will be reflected in the actual Digital Healing Garden operation and used to enhance healing programs for citizens and institutions.

Oh Kyung-seok, CEO of Dunamu, said, "The digital healing garden is being recognized as a next-generation healing space that bridges the gap between modern daily life and nature," and added, "Through this competition, we will discover diverse ideas to deliver nature's vitality and energy to more people."

Meanwhile, Dunamu's digital healing garden can be seen at the "2025 Seoul International Garden Expo," which runs until October 20. It is composed of three themes — 'Quiet Forest', 'Warm Forest', and 'Breathing Forest' — and, through a garden design that utilizes a blockchain structure, it allows visitors to naturally experience psychological and emotional healing.