Kim Seong-je, the mayor of Uiwang City in Gyeonggi Province, emphasized on September 19 that "citizens, businesses, and organizations must work together to practice carbon neutrality."
On that day, Mayor Kim made this statement during the first 'Carbon Neutral Living Practice Day' event of 2026, held around Baegun Lake.
The mayor initiated efforts to promote carbon neutrality in daily life, engaging citizens, businesses, and civil society.
The event was co-hosted by Lotte Premium Outlet Uiwang and the Uiwang City Sustainable Development Council, under the theme, "Let’s Walk Together for Carbon Neutrality! Enjoy the Baegun Lake Festival!"
More than 500 participants, including citizens and business representatives, attended the event.
After a brief warm-up, participants set off from the Uiwang City Bicycle Education Center, walking approximately 3 km along the Baegun Lake Ecological Trail to the park's grassy square, the festival venue.
Mayor Kim highlighted the importance of making carbon neutrality a part of daily culture, allowing citizens to easily practice it in their everyday lives.
Additionally, a campaign called 'Uiwang Citizens' Commitment to Carbon Neutrality' was conducted at the event.
Participants pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in their daily lives and shared their commitment to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.
Mayor Kim stated, "I hope that through Carbon Neutral Day, citizens not only take care of their health but also fully enjoy the beautiful autumn scenery of Baegun Lake and the vibrancy of the festival."
He added, "Small actions in daily life can lead to the precious outcome of carbon neutrality, so I encourage continuous interest and participation from citizens, businesses, and organizations in carbon neutrality efforts."
Participants expressed their interest in how walking could benefit their health while also contributing to carbon neutrality.
They noted that enjoying the festival with family and neighbors while walking through the natural environment of Baegun Lake made it easy to feel the significance of environmental practices in daily life.
The event also drew attention for linking environmental policy, citizen health, and local festivals.
The program, which involved walking the Baegun Lake Ecological Trail, allowed citizens to directly experience the local natural environment while participating in carbon neutrality efforts.
Collaboration between the public and private sectors was also evident. The Uiwang City Sustainable Development Council and Lotte Premium Outlet Uiwang co-hosted the event, connecting civil society and corporate ESG activities with local carbon neutrality efforts.
Park Byeong-jun, chairman of the Uiwang City Sustainable Development Council, remarked, "It is significant that the public, private sectors, and businesses have united in the face of climate crisis and ecological change. I hope the small steps taken by citizens will become the starting point for a sustainable future for Uiwang City."
Moon Tae-hoon, manager of Lotte Premium Outlet Uiwang, expressed his happiness at participating as a co-host in this meaningful event for the community and the environment, stating that they would continue to engage in various carbon neutrality campaigns in the future.
Meanwhile, Mayor Kim plans to continuously promote carbon neutrality activities that citizens can practice in their daily lives, fostering a culture of sustainable environmental practices involving citizens, businesses, and organizations.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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