Suncheon City Debuts Local Government "Ecological Mutual Recognition System"... Announces "Suncheon Declaration"

"Ecology Is the Economy": A New Model for Global Cooperation

Suncheon City in Jeonnam-Gwangju has presented a new model for international cooperation that brings together ecological conservation and regional economic growth, while setting out a path toward a sustainable future city.

Suncheon City Mayor Son Hunmo announced on October 27 that, at the opening-day events of the 2026 Suncheon International Forum held on October 26 at the convention hall of the Suncheon Ecograde Hotel, the city launched a mutual recognition system among local governments for the first time and announced the “Suncheon Declaration,” which calls for pursuing ecological conservation and regional prosperity together.

Participants at the Suncheon International Forum pose for a commemorative photo after the Suncheon Declaration performance on the 26th. Provided by Suncheon City.

Held through October 27 under the theme “Suncheon: From Nature to the Future,” the forum brings together around 300 participants, including representatives of cities and international organizations from Korea and abroad, members of academia and businesses, and citizens, to discuss ways to link ecological conservation with economic development.

On the first day, a mutual recognition system proposed by Suncheon City and involving local governments that are members of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) was launched for the first time. Instead of relying on certification by external organizations, the system is a form of horizontal international cooperation in which local governments recognize one another’s achievements in ecological conservation.

Six local governments from abroad, including the Swiss canton of Vaud and Nigeria’s Cross River State, presented examples of ecological conservation efforts in their regions and exchanged recognition scrolls. At a subsequent roundtable, participants discussed expanding the system and ways to sustain cooperation.

At the opening ceremony, the “Suncheon Declaration” was announced, expressing a commitment to achieving ecological conservation and regional prosperity together. Mayor Son Hunmo, Suncheon City Council Chair Yoo Young-cheol, speakers from Korea and abroad, and young people from Suncheon took part in a performance in which they assembled blocks inscribed with “Suncheon: From Nature to the Future,” conveying their commitment to passing the value of ecological conservation on to future generations.

In his keynote address, Scott Swinton, an honorary endowed professor at Michigan State University in the United States, introduced New York City’s watershed conservation efforts and stressed that policymaking should also account for nature’s value, which is difficult to quantify at market prices.

On October 27, a keynote address by Dindo Campilan, head of the IUCN Asia-Oceania Regional Office, will be followed by a presentation by Seoul National University Professor Kim Jongsung. Business representatives, including those from LG Electronics and SK Securities, will also join discussions to explore sustainable development strategies on topics such as the rights of nature, community-centered conservation, corporate disclosure of natural capital, and blue carbon investment cases.

Side events will also be held in conjunction with the forum. A “Temples and Tidal Flats” book talk is scheduled for October 28, followed by a workshop in Haeryong Village on October 29. The Korean Society of Ornithology’s autumn academic conference is scheduled to take place from October 29 to 30.

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