4 in 10 green-remodeled public buildings nationwide are in Gangwon Province

Green remodeling is a Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport program that upgrades insulation, windows, and heating and cooling systems in public buildings — libraries, senior centers, welfare facilities and the like — that are at least 10 years old, with the aim of improving energy efficiency and cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

Gangwon Province claimed 123 of the 318 sites — 39 percent — selected nationwide for the 2026 Public Building Green Remodeling Competition, the highest share of any region in the country, officials confirmed Friday.

The province has now topped the national rankings four years running, having been selected for 159 sites in 2023, 155 in 2024 and 121 last year, cementing its reputation as a hub for high-efficiency, eco-friendly public architecture.

Many of the selected sites are senior centers and welfare facilities — a reflection of the province's rapidly aging population. Once the upgrades are complete, elderly residents and local communities will have access to more comfortable and safer living environments.

The province plans to complete design work and administrative procedures for the selected sites before the end of the year and move quickly into full project implementation.

Officials attributed the province's consistent top ranking to close coordination with county and city governments to identify project needs early, as well as systematic preparation through a dedicated green-remodeling support team and pre-application consulting that helped produce stronger project proposals.

"Being selected the most in the nation for four consecutive years is a result of the hard work we have done together with our cities and counties," said Kim Sun-ha, head of the provincial architecture division. "We will do our utmost to create comfortable and safe living environments that residents can feel in their daily lives, while also contributing to carbon neutrality and revitalizing the local economy."