Professor Choi Jaecheon: "Practicing 'Nature Conservation' Can Prevent Pandemics"

On the 26th, the Fourth Special Lecture of 'Open Dongdaemun 2050' Held... Sharing Practical Measures for Ecological Living

Dongdaemun-gu (District Mayor Lee Pil-hyung) held a special lecture titled "Ecological Transition: Climate and Biodiversity Crisis" on the afternoon of the 26th at the multipurpose auditorium on the 2nd floor of the district office as part of the "Open Dongdaemun 2050" series, inviting Professor Choi Jae-chun, Chair Professor at Ewha Womans University.

Professor Choi Jae-chun, invited as a special lecturer for this event, is widely known as a biologist who loves ants and a world authority in animal behavior studies. Currently a Chair Professor at Ewha Womans University, Professor Choi communicates with the public about nature and human ecosystems through his YouTube channel "Choi Jae-chun's Amazon."

On this day, Professor Choi gave a special lecture introducing the connection between the biodiversity crisis collapsing due to the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change, emphasizing the necessity of an ecological life in harmony with nature. He concluded the lecture by stating, "The practice of 'nature conservation,' which can be described as an 'ecological vaccine,' can ultimately prevent situations like this pandemic," and added, "It is important to establish and actively pursue concrete measures such as setting 'carbon neutrality goals' so that future generations can also enjoy the nature we currently benefit from."

Lee Pil-hyung, Mayor of Dongdaemun-gu, said, "Dongdaemun-gu opened the Carbon Neutrality Support Center last August and is exploring various measures to realize a carbon-neutral city by 2050. I hope this lecture will serve as an opportunity for our staff to take an interest in the climate crisis and share the vision of carbon neutrality."

The "Open Dongdaemun 2050" special lecture series was planned to share the core values of the 8th elected administration with all Dongdaemun-gu employees. It provides lectures on the values Dongdaemun-gu aims for amid rapidly changing administrative environments such as the 4th Industrial Revolution, architecture and urban development, and innovation. Starting with a special lecture by Mayor Lee Pil-hyung in February, humanities lectures were held by Professor Yoo Hyun-joon and Seoul City Deputy Mayor for Administration Yoo Chang-soo. On November 24, baseball manager Kim Sung-geun will continue the series with a lecture titled "Baseball Life and Leadership."