• Seoul and Dublin recognized by the IURC for bilateral cooperation on sustainable urban development
• Dublin plans to improve urban transport operation based on Seoul’s TOPIS technology
• Seoul plans to publicize its excellent public transport policies through active international cooperation

The Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) has been recognized by the EU-funded International Urban and Regional Cooperation (IURC), which it joined in 2021, in March 2023 for its partnership with Dublin City Council for transport policy research, technical exchange and cross implementation of best practices.

Seoul has partnered with Dublin to promote and share its excellent urban transport policies ranging from urban green space (Pedestrian Forest Path on Sejong-daero) to public bike scheme (Ttareungi) and municipal transport control center (Transport Operation & Information Service; TOPIS). In particular, the amount of data processed and managed by TOPIS drew the attention of Dublin City Council, which plans to apply Seoul’s integrated transport data management know-how to Dublin’s Traffic Management & Incident Centre.

Seoul and Dublin signed a letter of intent (LOI) in February to promote bilateral cooperation from April to September through exchanges centered on urban transport policies, such as pedestrian and bicycle-friendly projects as well as TOPIS, to create data-based solutions to improve the mobility of pedestrians, cyclists and public transport users.

Seoul, which is recognized for its public transport reform based on innovative and sustainable policies, is also contributing to the establishment of an international cooperation network for urban transport policy, such as the SMG Deputy Mayor for City Transportation serving as the Chairperson of the International Association of Public Transport (UITP) Asia-Pacific Organising Authorities Platform (AP OAP).