Implementing a Pilot Scale-Eco-county Concept Towards Circular Economy and Sustainability

In the past decades, the eco-industrial concept, based on the ecological material flow and industrial symbiosis, has been introduced to many industrial parks, aiming to promote economic development and minimize environmental burdens in many countries. However, the eco-industrial park development programs could not completely solve the environmental problems, particularly in the case of a whole town or a county. An eco-county concept could be introduced into counties, which can be defined as a county towards circular economy and sustainability, which features low consumption of energy, low emission of pollutants, highly efficient use and recycling of resources, healthy living conditions, accessible transportation, and affordable residence. From that, the DPR Korean government launched a pilot project of eco-county in Kangryong. This article describes the eco-county development program, including background, geographical and climatological conditions, natural resources, general development programs, indigenous characteristics, challenges, and perspectives. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.