Busan is good

Busan Metropolitan City Opens Dong-gu and Yeonje Branches of “Our Neighborhood ESG Center,” Hubs for Eco-Friendly Senior Jobs

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Busan Metropolitan City, led by Mayor Chun Jae-soo, announced that opening ceremonies for the Dong-gu and Yeonje branches of the “Our Neighborhood ESG Center” will be held at 4:00 p.m. today, September 28, and at 3:00 p.m. tomorrow, September 29, respectively.

The opening ceremony for the ninth center in Dong-gu, to be held today, September 28, will be attended by the Director-General of the Social Welfare Bureau of Busan Metropolitan City, the Mayor of Dong-gu, and others. The opening ceremony for the tenth center in Yeonje, to be held tomorrow, September 29, is expected to be attended by the Special Advisor for Policy Coordination of Busan Metropolitan City, the Mayor of Yeonje-gu, the head of BNK Busan Bank’s Eastern Business Group, and representatives of related organizations.

The ninth center in Dong-gu, opening today, September 28, is the fourth case in which a daycare center closed amid declining birth rates and the transition to a super-aged society has been upcycled into an “Our Neighborhood ESG Center.” The tenth center in Yeonje was created by renovating a former administrative welfare center that had remained vacant after the office relocated.

The ninth center in Dong-gu was established using the former Choryang Daycare Center and is the second such center in Dong-gu, following the second center, which opened in 2023.

The tenth center in Yeonje was created by remodeling the former Yeonsan 2-dong Administrative Welfare Center after its relocation. It serves as a strong example of urban space regeneration that gives new value to an unused space in the city.

Busan Metropolitan City plans to carry out resource-circulation activities and environmental education and hands-on programs for children at both centers while also developing substantive programs tailored to each location.

As at existing “Our Neighborhood ESG Centers,” the ninth center in Dong-gu and the tenth center in Yeonje will operate plastic upcycling projects involving PET bottles, toys, and other items, as well as environmental education and hands-on experiences for children.

In addition, the ninth center in Dong-gu will host a special exhibition by artist Jo Jae-im under the theme “Wind and Forest” through June 2027. The tenth center in Yeonje will focus on a spent coffee grounds recycling project that reprocesses coffee grounds into products such as deodorizers and keyrings.

The “Our Neighborhood ESG Center” aims to help build sustainable local communities through resident-led resource-circulation activities, environmental education and hands-on experiences, and the creation of spaces that bring generations together.

Through the operation of the centers to date, Busan Metropolitan City has created approximately 6,100 senior jobs, collected 159 metric tons of plastic, and provided environmental education and hands-on programs to approximately 25,000 participants.

Meanwhile, the “Our Neighborhood ESG Center” has attracted attention in Korea and abroad as an exemplary implementation of ESG principles.

Following the establishment of two centers in Incheon, the initiative won a Silver Award at the Green World Awards in 2025, an event often described as the environmental equivalent of the Oscars. In 2026, it was also selected as a winner of the Green Apple Environment Awards, further recognizing the achievements of Busan’s model of eco-friendly policy that combines resource circulation with senior employment.

Hwang Soon-gil, Director-General of the Social Welfare Bureau of Busan Metropolitan City, said, “The ‘Our Neighborhood ESG Center’ is a new model that connects environmental initiatives with senior employment and brings generations together. It will serve as a hub for building warmer and happier communities in our neighborhoods.”

He added, “We will continue to expand the ESG Centers so that they can become a flagship initiative for creating quality eco-friendly jobs for seniors.”