Kangwon Land wins minister's commendation for eco-friendly technology promotion

Kangwon Land has received a government ministerial commendation for becoming the first resort operator in South Korea to achieve environmental certification across all its accommodation facilities and for its carbon neutrality efforts. The recognition follows sustained eco-friendly management practices, including recycling 2.9 tons of discarded linen and 33.5 tons of spent coffee grounds, and treating and reusing 448,000 tons of water drawn from a nearby abandoned mine.

Kangwon Land announced Wednesday that it received the Minister of Climate, Environment and Energy commendation in the green products — organizations category at the "2026 Eco-Friendly Technology Promotion and Consumption Incentive" government awards, hosted by the Ministry of Climate, Environment and Energy and organized by the Korea Environmental Industry and Technology Institute.

The government awards recognize institutions and individuals that have contributed to spreading the use of eco-friendly products, sustainable consumption and environmentally conscious lifestyle practices.

Kangwon Land pursued environmental certification for its accommodation facilities in stages as part of its goal to develop a green resort. It obtained certification for High1 Grand Hotel in December 2023, followed by High1 Condo in March last year and High1 Palace Hotel in May this year.

The ministerial commendation recognized Kangwon Land as the first resort operator in the country to achieve environmental certification across all its accommodation facilities, as well as its wide-ranging carbon neutrality efforts.

The company expanded its resource-recycling operations by building a "waste resource circulation model" that reuses 2.9 tons of discarded linen and 33.5 tons of spent coffee grounds generated within the resort. Through a separate water reuse project, Kangwon Land treats water from a nearby abandoned mine using its own advanced purification system and redirects it for resort landscaping and other uses — replacing 448,000 tons of water last year alone.

The company has also run customer-participation eco-friendly programs, including a green consumption incentive linked to the Green Card system and discounted electric vehicle charging rates through a partnership with EV charging company Everon.

"This award is especially meaningful because it recognizes the results of our sustained eco-friendly management — including the expansion of environmental certifications and our commitment to resource recycling," said Kim Do-gyun, chief executive of Kangwon Land. "Going forward, Kangwon Land will fulfill its responsibilities as a public enterprise in line with the government's carbon neutrality and circular economy policy, and will continue to lead the way in building an eco-friendly green resort."