Dongdaemun-gu Wins Grand Prize at National Local Government Manifesto Competition

Best Practice Award in Climate, Environment, and Ecology
for Carbon Neutrality Implementation Policy

Dongdaemun-gu in Seoul (District Mayor Lee Pilhyung) announced on the 25th that it had received the Grand Prize in the Climate, Environment, and Ecology category at the "2025 National Basic Local Government Manifesto Best Practices Competition."

Commemorative photo of the grand prize winner at the "2025 National Basic Local Government Heads Manifesto Best Practice Competition." Provided by Dongdaemun District.

Dongdaemun-gu has been implementing systematic and long-term carbon neutrality policies, starting with the declaration of its "2050 Carbon Neutrality Vision," the operation of a Carbon Neutrality Support Center, and the establishment of a resident-participatory action system.

In particular, initiatives such as "Carbon Talks Dongdaemun," which involved more than 2,000 residents, and the "Walking City" campaign, which engages all 340,000 residents, have established themselves as resident-led climate action models. These efforts have been recognized as exemplary cases in terms of effectiveness and potential for widespread adoption.

This award is especially meaningful as it highlights a shift from one-way, administration-led policies to a carbon-neutral city model created together with local residents. Dongdaemun-gu is laying a policy foundation for transforming the city structure and lifestyle in a sustainable direction, rather than limiting efforts to one-off campaigns.

Lee Pilhyung, Mayor of Dongdaemun-gu, stated, "The climate crisis is a challenge we can no longer postpone. Going forward, we will continue to walk together with residents and put carbon neutrality into practice through 'Walking City Dongdaemun,' making it a part of everyday culture."

This year marks the 15th edition of the competition, which is the largest policy competition in Korea, co-hosted by the Korea Manifesto Implementation Headquarters and the Gyeongbuk Research Institute. The event was held under the theme "Resilient Cities, Human-Centered Cities."

A total of 159 local governments from across the country participated, with 191 policy cases in seven categories: economic and local industry support, reduction of inequality, response to demographic changes, safety and disaster management, climate, environment and ecology, social capital, and community strengthening. All entries were evaluated in these areas.