Seonghwa Lim of Gwangju Seo-gu Council Establishes 'Paperless Environment Garden'

Cooperation among Seo-gu District Office, Gwangju Consumer Public Interest Network, and Others

Seonghwa Lim, a member of the Gwangju Seo-gu Council, announced on December 4 that, through public-private cooperation with the Seo-gu District Office (Parks and Green Spaces Division), the Gwangju Consumer Public Interest Network, BC Card, and others, the nation’s first ‘Paperless Environment Garden’ has been established in the Sangmu Citizen Park area.

Gwangju Seo-gu Sangmu City Park 'Paperless Environment Garden' Established. Provided by Councilor Lim Seonghwa

The ‘Paperless Environment Garden’ is a “donation-type forest garden creation project” that utilizes the ‘Paperless Environmental Fund’ raised by not printing paper receipts, in accordance with agreements between the Korea Environmental Industry & Technology Institute (KEITI), the Gwangju Consumer Public Interest Network, CU, 7-ELEVEN, and others.

Since its inception in 2012, the ‘Paperless Environmental Fund’ has primarily been used to create ecological forests in overseas desertification areas. Domestically, after the 2023 forest fire restoration project in Gangwon Province, Gwangju Seo-gu is the first to implement a ‘forest garden creation project’ aimed at improving the urban environment.

The creation of the ‘Sangmu Citizen Park Donation-type Forest Garden’ began with discussions and consensus-building between the Gwangju Consumer Public Interest Network (represented by Son Heejung), which had been considering a ‘Paperless Forest Garden Creation Project,’ and Councilor Seonghwa Lim of the Seo-gu Council.

Councilor Seonghwa Lim is known to have played an active intermediary role in coordinating and fostering cooperation between the public and private sectors, while also considering the project’s purpose, significance, and sustainability.

This pioneering green administration model was made possible through proactive communication and collaboration, including holding meetings to persuade relevant institutions and officials, such as the Seo-gu District Office’s Parks and Green Spaces Division.

Councilor Seonghwa Lim stated, “The establishment of the ‘Sangmu Citizen Park Paperless Environment Garden’ is both the result of communication and collaboration between the public and private sectors and an achievement created by our residents who participated in raising environmental funds by opting out of paper receipts. I will continue to do my utmost to bring together and cooperate with all necessary stakeholders to realize and expand sustainable policies in the future.”