Busan is good

Busan Metropolitan City and LG Electronics Sign MOU to Achieve Carbon Neutrality through the Creation and Conservation of Blue Carbon Sinks

내용

Busan Metropolitan City, led by Mayor Park Heong-joon, announced that it will hold a signing ceremony today (the 23rd) at 11:00 a.m. in the International Protocol Room of Busan City Hall with LG Electronics Co., Ltd. to conclude an MOU for the creation of a corporate companion garden under ESG-based social value management at the Busan Nakdong River Garden.

The ceremony will be attended by Mayor Park Heong-joon and Choi Seong-bong, Head of the Built-in Cooking Business Division at LG Electronics, among others.

Overview of the Memorandum of Understanding

• ●Date/Time and Venue: December 23, 2025 (Tuesday), 11:00 a.m. / International Protocol Room, Busan City Hall

• ●Parties to the Agreement: Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) and LG Electronics Co., Ltd. (Head of the Built-in Cooking Business Division, Choi Seong-bong)

• ●Key Details:

• ○Cooperation to achieve carbon neutrality through the creation and conservation of blue carbon ecosystems at sites including the Busan Nakdong River Garden

• ○Establishment of ESG-based public–private cooperation models for carbon reduction technology demonstration and the practice of social value management

This agreement aims to expand the concept of gardens beyond simple landscape creation into climate-response infrastructure that performs carbon absorption and ecological restoration, thereby establishing a city-level foundation for implementing carbon neutrality.

Under the agreement, Busan Metropolitan City will provide administrative support and policy coordination for the development of target sites such as the Busan Nakdong River Garden and the Sea Forest Garden, and will ensure systematic maintenance and management after completion.

LG Electronics plans to provide financial support for garden creation and ecosystem restoration, and to utilize a functional material known as “Marine Glass” to enhance the survival and growth rates of halophytic plants. The company will also offer technical consulting and monitoring related to carbon absorption effects.

Marine Glass is a functional glass material that transforms into mineral ions when in contact with water, precisely releasing at a controlled rate the mineral ions necessary for the growth of marine organisms such as seaweeds, microalgae, and halophytic plants.

The project will be implemented in stages from 2025 to 2028 in areas including the Busan Nakdong River Garden and Samnak Ecological Park, with the goal of generating tangible carbon reduction outcomes through halophytic plant planting, ecosystem restoration, and long-term monitoring.

Busan Metropolitan City expects this agreement to contribute not only to the implementation of carbon neutrality but also to securing differentiated competitiveness in the process of pursuing designation of the Busan Nakdong River Garden as a national garden.

Halophytic plants such as reeds and glasswort have recently gained attention as blue carbon sinks. Blue carbon ecosystems absorb carbon more rapidly and have greater storage capacity than terrestrial ecosystems, emerging as a promising solution for addressing climate change.

By combining blue carbon–based ecological restoration with corporate-participation garden creation, the city plans to complete a sustainable garden model unique to Busan.

Mayor Park Heong-joon stated, “This agreement represents a pioneering case of integrating corporate ESG-based social value management with blue carbon-based carbon sinks in gardens,” adding, “We will develop the Busan Nakdong River Garden into a hub for practicing carbon neutrality and realize ‘Busan, a City of Gardens,’ where citizens coexist with nature in their everyday lives.”