Choo Miae Attends Gyeonggi Province Library's 1st Anniversary Climate Conference: "Climate Crisis Is Man-Made"

Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Miae described the climate crisis as a man-made disaster rather than a natural one, saying that a strong sense of solidarity among citizens is needed to protect future generations.

On October 23, Governor Choo attended “The World We Borrow,” the flagship conference of the “2026 Gyeonggi Province Library Climate Chapter,” held jointly by Gyeonggi Province Library and Kyung Hee University to mark the library’s first anniversary. “When discussing the climate crisis, people claim it is a natural disaster so that no one has to take responsibility. But the climate crisis is not a natural disaster; it is a man-made one,” she said. “We cannot pinpoint who caused it and demand accountability from them, but data can show who contributed more, and we can demand accountability on that basis.”

She continued, “The companies and countries responsible for the climate crisis all have power. That is why it can be called a public crime that is extremely difficult to punish—a crime of silence. To respond to it, we need civic solidarity to protect our lives and human rights.”

Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Mi-ae speaks at “The World We Borrow,” the main conference of the 2026 Gyeonggi Library Climate Chapter, held jointly by Gyeonggi Library and Kyung Hee University to mark the library’s first anniversary on the 23rd. Photo provided by Gyeonggi Province.

Referring to the crocheted shade canopies made by citizens across the country to mark the library’s first anniversary, Governor Choo added, “These are not simply crocheted shade canopies; they are a beautiful expression of a powerful sense of solidarity. I hope the 1,000 canopies expressing solidarity between the provincial government complex and Gyeonggi Province Library will become a force for solidarity that protects future generations.”

At the conference that followed, ecologist Professor Choi Jae-cheon and installation artist Choi Jeong-hwa took the stage to discuss, from the perspectives of science and art, “how to use the world we borrow for a long time and return it in good condition.”

Through October 25, the “2026 Gyeonggi Province Library Climate Chapter” will continue to offer programs for public participation, including conferences and forums, a series of book talks with 14 climate and environmental writers, an exhibition of crocheted shade canopies, a themed exhibition, and hands-on activities.

Gyeonggi Province Library, which opened on October 25, 2025, at Gyeonggi Convergence Town in Suwon, is the province’s flagship library. It holds approximately 152,000 books and 263,000 electronic resources. The library has a total floor area of 27,795 square meters, with spaces for reading, activities, exhibitions, and creative work spread across five above-ground floors and one basement level. As of September 30, 2026, it had received 789,064 visitors, averaging 3,131 per day.

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