Dongdaemun-gu Opens Carbon Neutrality Support Center...First in Seoul Autonomous Districts

August 31 Opening Ceremony Held... Progress Report, Center Business Plan Introduction, Solar Car Test Drive Conducted

Dongdaemun-gu (Mayor Ilhyung Lee) held an opening ceremony for the 'Dongdaemun-gu Carbon Neutral Support Center' on the 31st in the front yard of the Engineering Building at Kookmin University (77 Jeongneung-ro, Seongbuk-gu) and officially began operations for carbon-neutral green growth research.

In February, the district was selected as the first autonomous district in Seoul to participate in the Ministry of Environment's 'Carbon Neutral Support Center Operation Public Contest' and received 100 million KRW in national funding. After a public recruitment and document and on-site evaluations for designation as a support center, Kookmin University Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation was designated as the Dongdaemun-gu Carbon Neutral Support Center in May of this year.

The Kookmin University Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation will operate the Dongdaemun-gu Carbon Neutral Support Center for three years and six months, from July 1, 2023, to December 31, 2026.

The opening ceremony was attended by about 100 people, including Dongdaemun-gu Mayor Ilhyung Lee, Kookmin University President Seungryeol Jeong and the head of the Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation, Jo Ikro, Director of the Inclusive Transition Bureau of the Presidential Committee on Carbon Neutrality and Green Growth, Seoul city council members, district council members, and members of Dongdaemun-gu environmental organizations. The event proceeded in the order of ▲pre-ceremony performance ▲progress report ▲welcome and congratulatory speeches ▲introduction of the center’s business plan ▲unveiling ceremony and ribbon cutting.

Additionally, as a post-ceremony event, an eco-friendly car and an autonomous vehicle using solar power, a renewable energy source, were available for test drives, providing an opportunity to experience carbon neutrality through future mobility.

The Dongdaemun-gu Carbon Neutral Support Center is responsible for tasks such as ▲monitoring the basic plan and detailed projects for carbon-neutral green growth ▲building a greenhouse gas inventory for Dongdaemun-gu ▲developing citizen practice programs to realize carbon neutrality in response to the climate crisis.

It also plans to promote the importance of carbon neutrality to residents and create a 'Dongdaemun-gu Carbon Neutral Theme Street' along the cherry blossom road in Jangan-dong, allowing residents to experience carbon-neutral programs, thereby advancing Dongdaemun-gu’s unique specialized projects.

Mayor Ilhyung Lee of Dongdaemun-gu stated, “Carbon neutrality is a stepping stone to the future, and our district aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2030 and achieve a carbon-neutral city by 2050. As the first autonomous district in Seoul to operate a carbon neutral support center, we will systematically manage greenhouse gas reduction amounts and establish concrete strategies and detailed implementation plans to create a ‘Future City Dongdaemun-gu.’ We will do our best efforts to achieve this goal.”