Case Study
Sustainability

Sustainable Innovation is Turning Sejong into a Smart City

How do you transform quality of life in an overpopulated city? Here’s how Sejong in South Korea gained world-leading ‘smart city’ status.

Testimonial

“This achievement will enable Sejong City to grow into a mature and innovative city.”

Chae Sik Lim Sejong City

The People

Making liveable smart cities a reality

By improving the quality of life for South Koreans with state-of-the-art technology, Sejong City hopes to attract 500,000 residents by 2030.

Smart cities are transforming our understanding of urban infrastructure. Sejong City sought to establish itself as a global pioneer for other smart cities driven by state-of-the-art technologies, including Big Data, AI and Internet of Things (IoT).

The Challenge

Rebalancing South Korea's urban influx

To address Seoul's air pollution and overcrowding, government officials recognized the need for a radical solution to mitigate an increasingly unsustainable influx of people.

Their goal was to create a brand-new city to act as the country's administrative center. In 2011, work began on building Sejong City. In line with the UN Sustainable Development Goal 11, 'Sustainable Cities and Communities', Sejong has since received 'smart city' certification.

The Solution

A world-leading smart city

In 2018, Sejong piloted a project for a new international standard for smart cities - an opportunity to show how sustainable innovation could transform urban living.

The BSI Smart Cities and Communities Kitemark is based on guidance around sustainable development and resilience of communities (ISO 37102). It was created following a five-year process of research and engagement with city leaders and aims to change the way that cities operate.

Sejong city has benefited from reimagining urban living for the future

These benefits include improved reputation, protecting vital services for society, technological improvements, and attracting new residents.

Sejong City has cemented its reputation as an award-winning, world-leading smart city.
As well as attracting new businesses and residents, Sejong has reduced risks to public services.
Sejong has the technological support to embrace being South Korea's administrative capital.
Sejong is on a path to continuous improvement, expecting to be home to 500,000 people by 2030.

Why BSI

Your partner in sustainable progress

We strive to continuously improve sustainability best-practice, whether it's through the services we offer, or our operations. As a trusted partner, we're committed to helping organizations accelerate their progress towards a more sustainable world.