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This study examines institutional factors hampering sustainable urban greening in South Korea by analyzing the problem of long-term unexecuted urban parks, which are defined as urban parks that have remained undeveloped for over 10 years. The study period spans over five decades, with a focus on decision-making, discourse, legislation, and implementation by employing historical institutionalism analytics. Historical institutionalism explains a relationship system with historical context. The data used in this study are basically laws related to urban parks; the government's official documents, reports, statistical data, newspaper articles and academic papers were utilized to look at the discourse and implementation process. Beginning with The Park Act (1967–1980) enacted in 1961, I investigate the changes in legislation related to unexecuted urban parks and the effects of those changes on various stakeholders. Over the past 50 years, institutions have persistently pursued quantitative policies, repeating the policy error of park encroachment and weakening the function of parks as public assets. This is primarily attributable to the makeshift attitude of institutional minimalism to solve problems without investment rather than seeking fundamental solutions. One implication for the sustainable development of urban parks may be that institutional efforts should be directed towards striking a balance between public and private interests, rather than favoring one over the other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]