Gumi City Wins First Place Nationwide and Grand Prize in Climate-Responsive Urban Forest at 'Green City Best Practices'

Effectiveness of 'Fine Dust Blocking Forest' in National Industrial Complex Buffer Green Space Recognized
3.7 Hectares, Over 35,000 Plants
Contributing to Ecological, Climate, and Living Environment Improvement
Significance in Expanding Everyday Green Spaces and Building a Sustainable Urban Environment

On November 27, Gumi City in North Gyeongsang Province won the Grand Prize in the Climate-Responsive Urban Forest category (Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Award) at the '2025 Green City Best Practices' contest hosted by the Korea Forest Service. This achievement marks the city's first-place ranking among all local governments nationwide in this competition.

The 'Green City Best Practices' evaluation selects outstanding cases each year by comprehensively reviewing green spaces managed or created by local governments, such as urban forests, school forests, and street trees. The criteria include climate response effectiveness, ecological value, social and cultural functions, and management performance.

This year, 43 projects were reviewed across five categories: Climate-Responsive Urban Forest, Urban Forest, Street Trees, School Forest Creation, and School Forest Aftercare.

The Korea Forest Service hosted the '2025 Green City Best Practices' contest, where the city won the Grand Prize in the Climate-Responsive Urban Forest category (Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Award). / Photo provided by Gumi City Hall

The project that earned Gumi City the Grand Prize is the 'Gumi National Industrial Complex Fine Dust Blocking Forest,' located in the buffer green space of Sindang-ri, Sandong-eup, within the national industrial complex. Covering approximately 3.7 hectares, the forest features a multi-layered ecosystem with 3,829 trees of 27 species and 31,190 shrubs of 19 species, totaling 35,109 plants. Walking trails and rest areas have also been established, making it a green space closely integrated into daily life where nearby residents can easily enjoy walks and relaxation.

In particular, as this forest is situated between the industrial complex and residential areas, it serves as a natural barrier that curbs the spread of fine dust generated by industrial activities and purifies the air.

Additionally, the presence of walking paths and rest areas has led to high praise for its function as a living-friendly green space, allowing local residents to easily enjoy nature in their everyday lives.

Beyond this achievement, Gumi City has been steadily expanding various green spaces where flowers and trees can be enjoyed throughout all four seasons.

In particular, 'Daon Forest,' known as a famous hydrangea spot, has become widely beloved by visitors and has established itself as Gumi's representative urban forest brand.

This Grand Prize is especially meaningful as it serves as a comprehensive evaluation not only of a single project, but also of the overall direction and sustainability of Gumi City's urban forest and ecological environment policies.

Gumi City Mayor Kim Jangho stated, "It is deeply meaningful that our efforts to improve the environment near the industrial complex have been recognized at the national level," adding, "Going forward, we will continue to transform Gumi into a green city where citizens can live in harmony with nature, beyond its image as an industrial city."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.