Gyeongju City Awarded 'Korea's Best Management Award'... "Model City for ESG Management Practice"

On the 4th, Gyeongju City received the Grand Prize in the ‘ESG Management’ category at the 9th Korea Best Management Awards 2024, hosted by Maeil Business Newspaper Media Group at The Plaza Hotel in Seoul.

Sponsored by Maeil Business Newspaper, the Ministry of Economy and Finance, and the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Management Awards recognize institutions and companies that have demonstrated outstanding achievements in various fields through excellent administrative strategies and bold challenges.

Joo Nak-young, mayor of Gyeongju City, is holding a plaque and a bouquet of flowers while posing for a commemorative photo after receiving the 'Korea Best Management Award'.

Gyeongju City was recognized for its efforts such as establishing an ESG management model city practice roadmap, holding the Carbon Neutrality Leading City Proclamation Ceremony, promoting the Gyeongju Green New Deal Millennium Forest Trail project, and conducting citizen campaigns for carbon neutrality.

To systematically realize an ESG management model city, Gyeongju developed the Gyeongju-type ESG implementation plan and indicators.

Currently, a total of 142 detailed action tasks have been established, including 56 in the Environmental Management (Environment) sector, 59 in the Social Responsibility (Social) sector, and 27 in the sound and transparent Governance sector.

In line with the 54th Earth Day, on the 22nd, the city will hold the ‘Carbon Neutrality Leading City Proclamation Ceremony.’ Through this, Gyeongju aims to imprint its image as a cutting-edge future city and an eco-friendly city on people worldwide.

In particular, this year’s major work plans include practical measures such as the distribution and support of renewable energy (4.1 billion KRW), the creation of the Gyeongju Green New Deal Millennium Forest Trail (66.5 billion KRW), the distribution of eco-friendly vehicles (9.3 billion KRW), and the establishment of electric vehicle charging facilities (6 billion KRW).

Additionally, to achieve tangible results in carbon neutrality practice, the city is conducting a ‘Carbon Neutrality Citizen Practice Movement.’ By distributing carbon neutrality pledge forms and lists to citizens, the city plans to promote practical methods to the public and strengthen citizens’ commitment to action.

Moreover, in the social responsibility sector, Gyeongju City was awarded 10 million KRW as a prize after being selected for the 15th Dasan Mokmin Award hosted by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety last year. This prize money was donated to a mother and daughter of Korean ethnic descent who were injured in a house fire, which was evaluated as a model case.

Going forward, Gyeongju City plans to promote the project more substantively through phased sustainable management (ESG) consulting and to widely raise awareness of sustainable management among local companies and foster voluntary participation through forums and other events.

Mayor Ju Nak-young of Gyeongju said, “As ESG values spread worldwide, they have emerged as a core element not of choice but of survival and growth. Taking today’s award as an opportunity, we will once again redefine policies within the ESG framework across all areas of city administration and expand them to all fields including safety and environment.”