Cheonan, South Korea — The city of Cheonan has been officially designated as an "Environmental Education City" for the 2026 term by the Ministry of Climate, Energy, and Environment, municipal officials announced on November 5.

The prestigious designation is awarded to local governments that demonstrate excellence in regional environmental education infrastructure, past performance, and forward-looking action plans. As part of the designation, which spans a three-year period from 2027 to 2029, Cheonan will receive national-level expert consultations and support for building inter-city cooperative networks to further bolster local environmental education initiatives.

Cheonan secured the new designation following a rigorous evaluation process that included a preliminary document review in May and an on-site evaluation in August. Municipal policies and the successful establishment of an "Environmental Education Network" — uniting various local organizations and civic groups — received high marks from the review panel.

Additionally, the city's "daily-life-oriented practical education" model was widely praised as a best practice. This initiative effectively connects local festivals with regional ecological experience centers, allowing citizens to easily experience and internalize environmental values in their everyday lives.

"This designation is the fruitful result of our citizens and local community joining forces for environmental sustainability," said Cheonan Mayor Chang Soo-ki. "We will continue to build a sustainable environmental education city where anyone can easily access environmental learning nearby and translate that knowledge into real-world action."

[ⓒ Global Economic Times. 무단전재-재배포 금지]