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Climate activist Kim Bo-rim awarded Goldman Environmental Prize

Published: 21 Apr. 2026, 10:25 Updated: 21 Apr. 2026, 16:53

Kim Bo-rim, a 33-year-old environmental activist, is seen in an undated photo. [GOLDMAN ENVIRONMENTAL FOUNDATION]

Climate activist Kim Bo-rim was awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize, one of the most prestigious awards in the environmental field, the first Korean to receive it in 31 years.

Kim, along with her organization Youth 4 Climate Action, won the first successful youth-led climate lawsuit in Asia.

The U.S.-based Goldman Environmental Foundation said Kim and Youth 4 Climate Action helped Korea’s Constitutional Court rule that the government’s climate policy violated the constitutional rights of future generations. The foundation also recognized Kim’s contributions to Korea’s carbon emission reduction targets, which aim to achieve net-zero by 2050.

The foundation assessed that Korea's due application of the environmental policy will help the nation "avoid more than 1,500 million tons of carbon emissions — equivalent to the annual emissions of approximately 500 coal-fired power plants — over the next 25 years."

Kim was selected as a laureate representing Asia, alongside five other winners from five regions worldwide: Africa, Europe, Islands and Island Nations, North America and South and Central America.

The Goldman Environmental Prize is often likened to the Nobel Prize in the environmental sector.

She is only the second Korean to receive the Goldman Environmental Prize, following Choi Yul, chairman of the Korea Green Foundation, who was honored in 1995.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM JI-HYE [[email protected]]