Busan is good

Busan Metropolitan City to Launch Citizen Participation Marine Environmental Cleanup Activities in Celebration of the 31st Oceans Day

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Busan Metropolitan City, led by Acting Mayor Kim Kyung-duk, announced that it will organize the citizen participation marine environmental cleanup activity “Busan Sea, Everyone’s Sea” at the beach in front of Jungri Sunset Observatory in Yeongdo-gu on May 31 in celebration of the 31st Oceans Day.

○ This activity marks the first joint initiative since the establishment of the nonprofit organization Global Adopt-a-Beach Alliance (GAA), newly founded with Busan as its base.

○ In particular, building on the Adopt-a-Beach program that has been promoted for four years since 2022 by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and local governments nationwide, including Busan, the Global Adopt-a-Beach Alliance (GAA) was launched with Busan at its center to introduce Korea’s private sector-led marine environmental cleanup achievements to the international community. Through this initiative, Busan is expected to establish itself as a global hub for marine environmental activities.

□ The “Busan Sea, Everyone’s Sea” activity will include environmental cleanup efforts to collect litter left along the beach, marine debris composition data surveys to record waste types and collection volumes, and education on proper waste separation and disposal.

○ Approximately 100 participants are expected to join the event, including Adopt-a-Beach coordinators, partner organizations, and youth leaders from across the country. General citizens may also apply to participate through the Adopt-a-Beach website at team.caresea.kr.

○ Applications are open until May 31, and both individuals interested in marine environments, including citizens, families, and youth, as well as organizations and groups involved in volunteer work, social contribution activities, and corporate ESG initiatives, may participate.

○ Participants will receive recognition for three hours of volunteer service. Manual registration through document submission after the event will also be supported for digitally vulnerable groups, including middle-aged and older participants.

□ In particular, data recorded through this activity, including the amount of waste collected and the cleaned area, will be published in a report aligned with the global standards of the World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA) under the United Nations (UN).

○ Through this initiative, the City plans to promote the excellence of the “Korean-style Adopt-a-Beach model” to the international community, with Busan introduced as the first official site for this marine environmental cleanup model.

○ In addition, related achievements will be shared through international channels via “ITA Seoul,” a member organization of the Global Adopt-a-Beach Alliance (GAA) and a member of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Global Plastics Hub. The initiative will also be promoted globally through “ONE IN ARMY,” the international volunteer fan community of global artist BTS.

□ Cho Young-tae, Director General of the Marine and Fisheries Bureau of Busan Metropolitan City, stated, “This marine environmental cleanup activity will serve as a meaningful opportunity for citizens to voluntarily create a cleaner sea while showcasing Korea’s private sector-led marine environmental cleanup capabilities to the world.” He added, “The City will continue to make every effort to create a pleasant and clean marine environment befitting Busan’s status as a global maritime capital through scientific and systematic marine waste management, including data-based marine debris collection.”