Busan is good

Comfortable Global Hub City Busan Selected as the Top Local Government in the “Korea Makeover” Campaign

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Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced that it has been selected as the top local government among the 17 cities and provinces in the “Korea Makeover” evaluation conducted by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.

This evaluation covered all 243 local governments nationwide, assessing metropolitan and basic local governments separately. Busan Metropolitan City was selected as the top metropolitan local government and is expected to receive an incentive of KRW 200 million in Special Local Tax Grants.

<Evaluation Results>

No.	Local Government	Allocation (KRW million)	Remarks
Total		800	-
1	Busan Metropolitan City	200	Top metropolitan local government
2	Jeju Special Self-Governing Province	200
3	Gwangju Metropolitan City	100	Excellent metropolitan local government
4	Ulsan Metropolitan City	100
5	Sejong Special Self-Governing City	100
6	Gyeonggi-do	100

The “Korea Makeover” campaign was launched following discussions at a State Council meeting on the need for a nationwide cleanup drive ahead of Chuseok and the “33rd Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Meeting.” The campaign began on September 22 and was conducted in two rounds.
※ Round 1 (Sep. 22–Oct. 1), Round 2 (Oct. 24–Oct. 28)

On the launch day of September 22, about 40 members of Busan’s Saemaeul Association (President Baek Ok-ja) traveled to Hwaseong, Gyeonggi-do, to join a nationwide trash collection activity.

In addition, around 400 members of the Busan Council of the “Korea Future Movement” (President Kim Ki-yong) participated in a cleanup activity near Busan Station, one of the city’s main gateways.

In the bustling Seomyeon district, approximately 400 members of the Busan Branch of the Korea Freedom Federation (President Shin Han-chun) carried out a street cleanup activity alongside a promotional campaign for the National Sports Festival.

Around the Busan Asiad Main Stadium, the venue for the opening ceremony of the National Sports Festival, about 300 members of the Association of Heads of Local Neighborhood Associations (President Lee Jeong-suk) took part in a sports festival promotional campaign and conducted environmental improvement activities.

Including the campaign period, Busan Metropolitan City collected 48.2 tons (t) of trash over two months from September 1 across 47 sites, with a total of 2,231 participants.

(Coastal areas) In collaboration with the Korea Marine Rescue Association, Busan handled submerged marine waste and coastal debris along the coasts of Yeongdo-gu and Gijang-gun. Professional divers recovered submerged waste, which was then lifted using the city’s Marine Environment Management Vessel (No. 503). As a result, the city processed approximately 20 tons (t) of waste, including discarded tires.

(Tourist sites) At more than 20 tourist attractions—such as Songjeong Beach and Haeundae Special Tourist Zone Park—the city improved pedestrian walkways, installed warning signs, processed trash, and removed various types of debris, collecting a total of 13 tons (t) of waste.

(Roads) In connection with the National Sports Festival, the city repaired sunken and cracked sidewalk blocks along roads used for the torch relay, marathon, and triathlon events. It also removed illegal banners and weeds and collected 3 tons (t) of trash.

These results appear to reflect strong synergy between the “Korea Makeover” campaign and the growing consensus on the need for advance environmental improvement in preparation for hosting the National Sports Festival and National Para Games.

Cho Young-tae, Director General of the Administrative Management Bureau, said, “This outstanding outcome was made possible by the passion and voluntary participation of public officials, private organizations, and local businesses in environmental cleanup efforts.” He added, “As we enter an era of three million international tourists, we will ensure Busan remains consistently clean and pleasant at all times.”