Mystical night at seaside arboretum built by former US intelligence officer

A faint sea mist blankets the forest floor, thick with broad ferns. Patches of earth show through the dense undergrowth, while fragmented rays of sunlight filter through the thick maple branches overhead. The clock has just turned 6 a.

m. The hour is too early even for the most popular destinations to be crowded with travelers. The same is true where I stand, at one of Korea’s best-known arboretums overlooking the sea.

Across its vast 589,429-square-meter grounds, not a single soul is in sight. Only the distant horns of ships entering port and the calls of birds overhead echo through the trees. It is a rare, tranquil privilege that only those who begin their day at Chollipo Arboretum in Taean, South Chungcheong Province, can enjoy.

It is well known as “a garden overlooking the sea” and “an arboretum where visitors can spend the night.” The arboretum has other rarities as well. It is Korea’s first private arboretum.

It was built on a salt-laden coast, an unusual setting for an arboretum. And it was founded by the first American to become a naturalized Korean citizen. Born an Am