On March 17, Gwangju Metropolitan City officially announced the establishment of its first Subnational and Local Biodiversity Strategies (2025-2029), which outlines plans for restoring urban ecological corridors and degraded areas, and introducing the Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs) system. Through this strategy, Gwangju city expressed its commitment to playing a leading role in creating a sustainable eco-city that coexists with nature.

In accordance with the Act on the Conservation and Use of Biological Diversity (Biodiversity Act), Republic of Korea develops a National Biodiversity Strategy every five years. The Fifth National Biodiversity Strategy (2024–2028) was finalized in December 2023.

To ensure the effective implementation of the national strategy, the Ministry of Environment is currently promoting legislative amendments that mandate the establishment of subnational and local biodiversity strategies at the metropolitan and provincial levels. Gwangju city's new strategy is seen as an important step in line with this national movement.

According to the strategy, a total of KRW 84.6 billion (KRW 36 billion from the national budget and KRW 48.6 billion from the city budget) will be invested from 2025 to 2029 to implement three major strategies and 31 specific action plans as below.

• ① Strengthening Biodiversity Conservation: Fourteen projects will be undertaken, including the restoration of urban ecological corridors and degraded sites, the introduction of the OECM system, designation of the Jangrok Wetland as a Ramsar Wetland, and the creation of carbon sinks. In particular, in alignment with the national strategy, Gwangju city will promote the discovery and designation of urban OECMs to contribute to the national target that manage 30% of the national territory as protected areas by 2030.
• ② Enhancing Ecosystem Service Benefits: Eight projects will be launched, such as assessing the value of urban ecosystem services, identifying unique indicators of ecosystem service, expanding urban green spaces and parks, and creating and managing ecological forests. These efforts aim to conserve the city's unique ecological assets and enable citizens to enjoy a wider range of ecosystem services.
• ③ Mainstreaming Biodiversity: Nine projects will be carried out, including biodiversity awareness campaigns, the operation of biological surveys (BioBlitz), citizen-led monitoring for endangered wildlife, and support for local companies' ESG activities. These initiatives are expected to expand citizen participation and strengthen community collaboration.

In addition to Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province also announced the first Subnational and Local Biodiversity Strategies (2025–2029) through its official gazette in January 2025. Other local governments are also actively working to establish their own strategies.