Kim Jong-nam, secretary-general of the Taebaek Council for Sustainable Development in Gangwon Province, has spent more than two decades driving citizen-led environmental education and grassroots conservation campaigns.
His efforts have helped raise environmental awareness across the local community and produced a cadre of certified "green leader" environmental educators, laying the groundwork for a more sustainable region.
Kim received the grand prize at the 29th Gangwon Environment Awards ceremony. Category winners included K-Eco Co. in academic research and technology development; Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co.'s Han River Hydro Headquarters in environmental protection; the Gangwon Human Resources Development Institute in everyday environmental practice; and the Korea Otter Research Center in environmental education and public outreach.
K-Eco (CEO Park Jeong-ho) was recognized for clarifying the ecological mechanisms of freshwater algae — known locally as "mulmul-gim" — and publishing the findings in a top-tier academic journal, for first discovering and characterizing the habitat of a critically endangered species (Cristaria plicata, Class I) in the province, for monitoring key ecological rivers and promoting citizen science, and for securing intellectual property rights in the environmental field.
Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power's Han River Hydro Headquarters (CEO Kwon Chang-seop) was honored for voluntarily pursuing water quality improvement projects despite having no legal authority over the waterway, publishing an in-house environmental newsletter, spreading everyday environmental practices through recycling campaigns, holding cleanup events on environmental commemorative days, and regularly hosting lectures by environmental experts.
The Gangwon Human Resources Development Institute (CEO Kim Hak-cheol) was praised for going beyond conventional talent development to cultivate civic-minded professionals with strong environmental awareness, running hands-on programs and participatory campaigns — including zero-single-use-plastic initiatives and cleanup activities — and delivering practice-oriented environmental education to socially vulnerable groups such as people with developmental disabilities and those with low literacy.
The Korea Otter Research Center (CEO Han Seong-yong) was recognized for 12 consecutive years of environmental education for students, military personnel and local residents; for promoting the protection of endangered wildlife through participation in local events and seminars; and for earning Ministry of Environment certification for its environmental education program in 2013 and designation as an outstanding program in 2019.
The Environmental Family Award went to the families of Kim Hye-jeong of Chuncheon, Hwang Un-hwa of Yeongwol-gun, Noh Yeong-seon of Wonju, Lee Myeong-suk of Pyeongchang-gun, Kim Nam-jeong of Gangneung, Kim Seok-tae of Jeongseon-gun, Lee Mi-suk of Donghae, Baek Jong-han of Cheorwon-gun, Park Si-hyeon of Taebaek, Yun Seon-ju of Hwacheon-gun, Kim Bo-nyeon of Sokcho, Lee Jeong-gwon of Yanggu-gun, Kim Ji-su of Samcheok, Ryu Eun-suk of Inje-gun, Sa Seok-won of Hongcheon-gun, Shin Sang-yeol of Goseong-gun, Cheon Jae-ryong of Hoengseong-gun and Kim Chang-su of Yangyang-gun.
"I extend my deepest gratitude to all the recipients for their dedication to environmental conservation and sustainable development," said Yun Seung-gi, director of the Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province's Forest and Environment Bureau. "We will continue to actively identify and support outstanding contributors so that small acts of environmental stewardship can spread throughout our communities."
The awards are jointly organized by Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province, KBS Chuncheon Broadcasting Station and the Gangwon Ilbo. The ceremony was held Friday at 2 p.m. at Liberty Hall of the Gangwon Research Institute. The awards were established in 1998 to raise public awareness of the importance of environmental conservation.
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