Land ministry cites carbon neutrality, urban regeneration in naming top sustainable cities
Pyeongtaek in Gyeonggi Province and Gyeongju in North Gyeongsang Province were recognized as outstanding sustainable cities.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said it would hold the "2026 Korea City Awards" ceremony at 2 p.m. Wednesday at BEXCO in Busan, presenting Pyeongtaek the presidential award and Gyeongju the prime minister's award.
The two cities were honored for driving change in residents' lives and local economies — from carbon neutrality built on the hydrogen industry to resident-led urban regeneration.
Pyeongtaek put forward a new model of urban growth that combines carbon neutrality with industrial growth. The city earned high marks for pursuing carbon-neutral policies suited to an industrial city, including expanding clean hydrogen supply infrastructure such as hydrogen production bases and pipeline networks, and growing renewable energy and urban forests.
The city drew particular praise for the carbon-reduction impact of operating the nation's first commercial carbon dioxide capture facility, equivalent to planting about 620,000 trees. It also received praise for running a hydrogen production base for a year, equivalent to planting about 5.58 million trees.
Gyeongju breathed new life into the declining Hwangchon village through resident-led urban regeneration. Building on public-private-industry-academia governance with resident participation, the city revived its alley commercial district and pursued projects tailored to local characteristics, such as urban homestays.
As a result, foot traffic rose 319 percent and average stay time increased 62 percent, while satisfaction with walkability and residential welfare rose 38 percent and 21 percent, respectively — changes that were assessed as translating into real improvements in residents' lives and the local economy.
Paju also received the land ministry's award, for a power purchase agreement that supplies renewable energy produced using idle sites and existing facilities directly to local companies. Jongno-gu received the award for creating the Jongno Fashion Support Center out of an idle building, linking traditional downtown industry with urban regeneration. Dong-gu of the South Jeolla-Gwangju Integrated Special City received the award for solutions tailored to local characteristics, including incorporating AI into medical infrastructure.
Lee Ki-bong, director general for urban policy at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, said, "The answers to the problems cities face can differ from region to region." He added, "We will actively support policies that make use of local conditions and strengths so that they can bring real change to residents' lives, and help spread those achievements to other cities."
Meanwhile, the Korea City Awards evaluate the sustainability and quality-of-life infrastructure of the country's 229 cities, counties and districts. This year's ceremony is being held alongside the "2026 World Smart City Expo," which opens Wednesday at BEXCO in Busan. Last year, Suwon received the presidential award and Goyang the prime minister's award, while Jongno-gu, Paju and Mokpo were among those receiving the minister's award.
smh@heraldcorp.com
