About the Forum

Co-Chairs' Greeting

Welcome to Route 1 Forum.

Route 1 Forum is a community of experts and intellectuals committed to balanced national development. We are a non-profit, non-partisan civilian platform that brings together professionals from urban planning, environment, culture, arts, economics, business, and lifestyle design — all dedicated to addressing pressing urban issues such as population decline, industrial restructuring driven by digital transformation, unplanned development, and aging residential environments.

Our mission is to design high-quality cities and elevate the quality of life of local residents through capacity-building in regions, the introduction of new urban functions, the creation of regional economic value, and the strategic use of local resources — across economic, social, physical, and environmental dimensions.

Korea today faces a new imperative: addressing the structural imbalance caused by over-concentration in the Seoul metropolitan area. As our first initiative, we are building a New Urbanism campaign and case studies of successful urban regeneration across the 41 local governments along National Route 1 — from Mokpo in the south to Imjingak in the north — encouraging organic cooperation and mutual prosperity. We further intend to extend this initiative through a planned Route 7 Forum, covering the eastern corridor from Busan to Goseong.

We deeply appreciate your interest and support.

Origin

Moksapo — "Thinking about Mokpo"

The forerunner of Route 1 Forum is Moksapo (木思浦), a citizens' circle whose name means "thinking about Mokpo." People of diverse hometowns, backgrounds, and professions came together drawn by the appeal of Mokpo. Over half of Moksapo's members have no prior personal connection to Mokpo; they have used the city as a lens to think more deeply about life in Korea and to seek meaningful change.

The forum was conceptualized in June 2022 with the motto of a 21st Century Korean New Urbanism movement, and was officially launched on June 15, 2023 at Mokpo's Kim Dae-jung Nobel Peace Memorial Hall with the inaugural seminar "Great Mokpo: Why Mokpo Now?" (1st Forum).

From a single city to a corridor: National Route 1

Through Moksapo's activities, members realized that examining a single city was not enough. Islands lie in Sinan-gun, the KTX and airports in Muan-gun, and the Yeongsangang River runs through Naju and Yeongam before reaching Mokpo. Using a region's scattered resources and infrastructure effectively requires connectivity and harmony with neighboring cities.

Historically and economically, the core infrastructure linking provincial cities has been the national road network. Building on the symbolism of National Route 1 — which runs from Mokpo through Seoul to Sinuiju — Route 1 Forum began as a platform where the cities along the route can form alliances and pursue development together as needed.

New Urbanism as a Korean expansion

The forum's operating philosophy is rooted in New Urbanism, an urban design reform movement that began in the United States in 1993. It aims at urban sustainability, social integration, and quality of life. Every urban initiative discussed at Route 1 Forum aspires to reflect those principles.

Operating Principles

The Six Principles of New Urbanism

The six core principles the forum applies to every urban initiative we discuss.

• 01

  Walkability

  보행권 우선 도시

• 02

  Mixed-use Development

  복합 개발

• 03

  Connectivity

  편리하게 연결된 도시 기반시설

• 04

  Smart Growth

  환경 파괴를 최소화하는 지능적 개발

• 05

  Sustainability

  녹색공간 확보와 지속 가능한 에너지 효율

• 06

  Community Engagement

  참여하는 지역사회

Public–Private Governance with the City Alliance

The Route 1 City Alliance, launched on November 5, 2024 in conjunction with the 4th Forum, is a separate consortium of local governments. It was founded with an MOU signed by 6 cities at its inception, and now operates as a 7-city body with the later addition of Mokpo. The Alliance was proposed by Mayor Lee Dong-hwan of Goyang Special City and pursues collaborative projects to address population decline and regional decline.

Route 1 Forum serves as the think tank for the Alliance. As a private expert body, the forum researches and discusses policy agendas, and the Alliance translates the results into cooperation projects — establishing a public–private governance structure.

Excluded forms of participation

From its founding, Route 1 Forum has maintained four exclusions to preserve its non-profit, non-partisan identity.

• ✕ Political participation
• ✕ Profit-driven involvement
• ✕ Criticism of vulnerable groups
• ✕ Disrespect for local communities

Organization

Route 1 Forum is a voluntary civilian platform whose members are experts in urban planning, environment, culture, arts, economics, business, and lifestyle design. For details on planning and operating committees, please contact the secretariat.

History

Since the 1st Forum in June 2023, semi-annual seminars have been held in succession.

1. November 4, 2025 · Working Group

   Route 1 City Alliance — 2nd Working Group Meeting

   Glocal Startup Center, Mokpo National University

2. November 4, 2025 · 6th Forum

   Green-Innovation Industries for Regional Development

   Mokpo National University Namak Campus

3. March 4, 2025 · Working Group

   Route 1 City Alliance — 1st Working Group Meeting (7 cities)

   Goyang City

4. February 27, 2025 · 5th Forum

   Carbon Neutrality and Green Growth in Local Governments

   Gwangmyeong Upcycle Art Center

5. November 5, 2024 · Alliance Launch

   Route 1 City Alliance Founded — MOU signed by 6 cities (later expanded to 7 with Mokpo)

   Korea Aerospace University (during 4th Forum)

6. November 5, 2024 · 4th Forum

   Designing Sustainable Cities: Connectivity and Innovation

   Korea Aerospace University, Today Art Hall

7. June 25, 2024 · Government Petition

   Urgent petition for the establishment of Mokpo National University Medical School

   Joint by Moksapo and Route 1 Forum

8. June 12, 2024 · 3rd Forum

   Mokpo National University and Glocal Innovation

   Dorim Campus, Mokpo National University

9. December 12, 2023 · 2nd Forum

   Regional Development via Route 1

   Korea Science and Technology Center, Seoul

10. June 15, 2023 · 1st Forum

    Great Mokpo: Why Mokpo Now?

    Kim Dae-jung Nobel Peace Memorial Hall

For detailed information on each session, please visit the Forums page.