Cheongdo County Wins Grand Prize in Resource Circulation at the Korea Environment Awards for 5 Consecutive Years

"Practicing Carbon Neutrality in Daily Life"

Cheongdo-gun (Governor Kim Hasu) announced on the 7th that it received the Grand Prize in the Resource Circulation category for the fifth consecutive year at the "19th 2024 Korea Environment Awards" held at the SME DMC Tower in Mapo-gu, Seoul.

At the award ceremony held on the 5th, Kim Hasu, Governor of Cheongdo-gun, Jeon Inju, President of Cheongdo-gun Saemaeul Association, presidents and leaders of the four Saemaeul organizations, and about 30 other participants attended to celebrate the honor of winning the Korea Environment Awards for five consecutive years.

Cheongdo County, Gyeongbuk, has received the Grand Prize in the Resource Circulation category for five consecutive years at the Korea Environmental Awards. Employees related to Cheongdo County and executives and staff of the Saemaul organizations are taking a commemorative photo.

Marking its 19th anniversary this year, the Korea Environment Awards is the most prestigious environmental award in Korea. It has been presented annually since 2005 by the Korea Environment Awards Committee, with the support of central government ministries such as the Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries. The award encourages the realization of a sustainable eco-friendly society and recognizes organizations, individuals, and local governments that have made eco-friendly efforts in all aspects of life, including housing, policy, management, education, culture, tourism, and services, as well as product production, distribution, and consumption.

Cheongdo-gun has achieved the milestone of winning the Grand Prize in the Resource Circulation category for five consecutive years, starting in 2020. This achievement was made possible not only by the "Saemaeul Environmental Protection (Recycling Competition)" held annually without interruption for 25 years since March 2000, but also by the expansion of "Clean House" recycling separation facilities to all towns and villages, the establishment of recycling centers in Gaknam-myeon and Geumcheon-myeon, and Cheongdo-gun's leading efforts to spread the resource circulation movement. These efforts have been recognized as outstanding examples, resulting in the remarkable accomplishment of winning the Grand Prize for five consecutive years.

Kim Hasu, Governor of Cheongdo-gun, said, "I consider it an infinite honor to receive the most prestigious Korea Environment Award in the environmental field for five consecutive years." He added, "Through the continued promotion of the 'Saemaeul Environmental Protection' project, a unique alternative from Cheongdo, the birthplace of the Saemaeul Movement, in response to the global issues of climate crisis and carbon neutrality, we will lead a major transformation to a green economy by practicing carbon neutrality in daily life and further develop it as the second Saemaeul Movement."