The Manchurian apricot trees were planted in the Korean corner of the Botanical Garden of ISU. The event was dedicated to South Korea's Arbor Day “Sikmogil” (식목일), a holiday celebrated annually on April 5.

The ceremony was attanded by Consul General of the Republic of Korea in Irkutsk Kim Se Woon, Vice-Rector for Research and International Cooperation of Irkutsk State University Konstantin Grigorichev, Head of the "Center of Korean Culture" in Irkutsk Ten Yong Il. The event was also attended by students of the International Institute of Economics and Linguistics and the Institute of Philology, Foreign Languages and Media Communication, learning Korean language.

Kim Se Woon, Consul General of the Republic of Korea in Irkutsk:

- The Republic of Korea celebrates Arbor Day “Sikmogil” (식목일)every year on April 5. This day was established to support comfortable environment. This year, the Tree Planting Day is held for the 76th time. I am glad that the event in Irkutsk is held here - on the platform of Korean-Russian friendship, and this year is declared the year of mutual exchanges between Korea and Russia. I am sure that planting trees today will be a very good reason for further and closer unity of the peoples of Korea and Russia, and will also allow the citizens of our countries to get to know each other much better.

Welcoming the participants and guests of the Botanical Garden, the vice-rector for Research and International Cooperation Konstantin Grigorichev noted the symbolism of the event:

- This spring has brought us the opportunity of face-to-face meetings and live communication. I hope that in the future we will also meet personally and talk looking into each other's eyes, not at the monitor screen. I think it is very symbolic and very important that spring begins with a holiday that has come to us from the Republic of Korea. It is said that in your life you need to plant at least one tree. We are grateful to the Consul General of the Republic of Korea in Irkutsk, Mr. Kim Se Woon, for the fact that we can spend this holiday together, and later see how our friendship trees will flourish in the Korean corner of ISU Botanical Garden.

Students of the Institute of Philology, Foreign Languages and Media Communication and the International Institute of Economics and Linguistics presented performances to the guests, and also held a tea ceremony in the large greenhouse of the Botanical Garden.