The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said on the 3rd it selected 318 aging public buildings nationwide as sites for the "2026 public building green remodeling 2.0" project. The project is a government-led initiative to raise the energy efficiency of old buildings to cut greenhouse gas emissions and serve as a primer for the private eco-friendly construction market.
The project goes beyond conventional measures such as adding insulation, installing high-performance windows, and replacing heating and cooling systems with high-efficiency models, and also supports disaster-prevention technologies that can directly respond to increasingly frequent climate disasters. As a result, site-specific climate adaptation technologies will be introduced, including flood barriers and reinforced drainage facilities, wind pressure–resistant glass that withstands strong winds, and road heating cables and snow guards for heavy snowfall in winter.
The range of beneficiaries has also expanded. Previously limited to six building types such as senior centers and libraries, it was expanded this year to 28 detailed uses, including mid- to large-scale, daily-life facilities such as child and disability welfare facilities, community facilities, and multicultural family support centers.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) reviewed 535 buildings submitted to the call held from Apr. 7 to 24, evaluating factors such as aging level, expected energy savings, and whether climate technologies would be applied, to select the final targets. Non-capital regions accounted for 273 buildings, or 85.8% of the total, while the capital region had 45 buildings (14.2%). By facility type, reflecting the aging trend, senior centers used by older adults were the most common at 217 buildings (68.2%), followed by social welfare facilities (31) and senior welfare facilities (18). Among metropolitan governments, the Gangwon region will receive the most support with 123 buildings.
In particular, the government designated five separate signature projects that will combine next-generation eco-friendly technologies with original architectural design to develop regional green architecture landmarks. They are: ▲ Jeju Museum of Contemporary Art ▲ Hwaseong Nest Narae Municipal Children's Library ▲ Suwon Lifelong Learning Center ▲ Wonju Youth Culture House ▲ Uam Children's Hall.
Jeong Ui-gyeong, director general for Land and City at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT), said, "The transformation of familiar public spaces for residents will be a catalyst for spreading an eco-friendly construction culture to the private sector," adding, "By having the public sector present guidelines, we will create a green building industry environment with high value-added standards and breathe new life into local economies."