Jinju City, Twice Recipient of the President’s Award, Wins Urban Award for Seventh Consecutive Year

Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Award for This Year
Evaluation in Four Urban Policy Categories

Jinju City in South Gyeongsang Province has received the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Award at the ‘2026 Korea Urban Awards’ hosted by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, maintaining its achievement of winning for seven consecutive years since 2020.

The city announced on September 9 that it had been selected as a recipient of the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Award, according to the results of the Korea Urban Awards evaluation released that day.

The Korea Urban Awards are organized based on the 「National Land Planning and Utilization Act」 to evaluate local governments’ urban policies and sustainability. The winners are selected through an assessment of 11 items across four categories: urban society, urban economy, urban environment, and support systems.

[Photo by Jinju City] Jinju City officials are posing for a commemorative photo after receiving the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Award at the '2026 Korea Urban Awards' hosted by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. Jinju City has continued its record of winning the Korea Urban Awards for seven consecutive years from 2020 to this year.

Starting with the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Award in 2020, Jinju City has since received the Prime Minister’s Award in 2021, the President’s Award in 2022, the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Award in 2023, the President’s Award in 2024, and the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Award in 2025. This year, it has once again been honored with the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Award.

During this evaluation, Jinju City was assessed for its policies and project achievements related to safety and welfare, jobs, parks and green spaces, transportation, and urban regeneration.

In the urban society category, criteria included the expansion of CCTV for public safety, health check-ups and disease prevention programs, and support for daily convenience and job opportunities for seniors and people with disabilities.

In the urban economy category, notable achievements included support policies for youth, newlyweds, and households with children, business attraction efforts, support for start-ups and employment, and projects related to fostering the aerospace industry.

In the urban environment category, initiatives such as the creation of community parks like ‘Wolasan Forest Jinju’ and Mangyeong Park, as well as efforts to improve residential environments for vulnerable groups and upgrade living conditions in underprivileged areas, were highlighted.

Achievements in transportation and environmental policies included the implementation of a carbon neutrality points program, promotion of eco-friendly vehicles, encouraging walking and bicycling, introducing discounts for intercity transfers, and providing Jinju-style Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS).

In the support systems category, the evaluation considered efforts such as repurposing idle and closed factories in the Sangpyeong Industrial Complex for youth start-up spaces and urban regeneration, as well as collecting residents’ opinions through online channels and citizen forums.

Jinju City Mayor Cho Kyu-il stated, "Winning this award for seven consecutive years is the result of the urban policies we have promoted together with our citizens," adding, "We will continue to monitor and improve areas that affect people’s lives, such as safety and welfare, jobs and industry, environment and transportation."

Meanwhile, based on the results of this evaluation, Jinju City plans to review its existing urban policies and major current projects and to continue advancing related initiatives.

However, since winning the urban award does not necessarily mean each individual policy has yielded substantial results, it remains important to continuously check specific performance indicators and residents’ perceptions to assess how each project has impacted the living environment and local economy.

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