Pohang Cheolgilsup Receives 'Green Flag Award' Certification... Recognized Globally

Published 13 Apr.2022 09:23(KST)

Updated 10 Aug.2025 12:04(KST)

‘Pohang Cheolgilsup Greenway Project’ First Certified in East Asia

Mayor Lee Gang-deok and officials are holding a certification ceremony at the Cheolgil Forest Music Fountain Square and taking commemorative photos.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Dongguk Lee] Pohang City’s ‘Pohang Cheolgilsup (Railroad Forest),’ a core project of the Pohang Greenway Project, has been officially certified with the Green Flag Award by KBT (Keep Britain Tidy), an environmental organization under the UK government.

Accordingly, the city held a certification ceremony on the 12th at the Cheolgilsup Music Fountain Plaza, where the judges presented the ‘Green Flag’ to Pohang City.

The ‘Green Flag Certification System’ began in 1997 when experts gathered to find solutions to neglected green spaces due to the UK’s financial crisis. Since 2008, it has expanded beyond the UK to other countries (EU, USA, Australia, New Zealand, etc.), with 2,308 sites certified in Europe and the Middle East, 3 in North America, and 31 in Australia.

KBT (Keep Britain Tidy), which oversees the Green Flag certification, is an environmental organization under the UK government that provides a free platform connecting researchers, policymakers, and green space managers in the UK and worldwide. Its goal is to promote best practices in park and green space management to protect the environment.

The city submitted the ‘Green Flag Award Certification Application’ to KBT in December last year. After passing the first document screening conducted in the UK, Pohang successfully passed the second on-site inspection at Cheolgilsup on the 11th, achieving final certification. The evaluation consists of 30% document review and 70% on-site inspection, with certification granted to sites scoring 66 points or higher. Annual assessments encourage improved green space management.

The Green Flag certification of Pohang Cheolgilsup, the leading project of the Pohang Greenway Project, is significant as the first certification case not only in Korea but also in East Asia. It recognizes the achievements of the Greenway Project, which aims to create a green ecological city, on the international stage. Additionally, it provides an opportunity to promote the Pohang Greenway Project and Cheolgilsup through exchanges with overseas awarding organizations regarding green space management.

Pohang Cheolgilsup is an urban forest created on land used as a railway for the past 100 years. In the Green Flag Award evaluation, it received high marks for ▲being a large-scale green space passing through various parts of the city while being consistently and efficiently maintained ▲high-quality management of diverse tree species and herbaceous plants ▲and convenient use by many citizens within the city.

Kim Hyung-gu, head of the Blue City Project Group, said, “This Green Flag Award certification demonstrates that the creation and management level of the Greenway Project and Cheolgilsup meet international standards.” He added, “Through the Green Flag Award certification, Pohang’s dream of becoming a green city is becoming a reality.”