With the recent global urban issues such as climate change, urbanization, and energy problems, the smart city was proposed as one of the solutions in urban planning. This study introduces the smart city initiatives of South Korea by examining the recent history of smart city policies and their limitations. This case study reflects the experience of one of the countries which thrived to building smart cities as their national key industries to drive economic growth. It also analyzes the trends of the smart city using big data analysis techniques. Although there are obstacles such as economic recession, failing to differentiate from the U-city, low service level than expected smart functionality, We could recognize the current status of the smart city policies in South Korea such as 1) Korean smart city development projects are actively implemented, 2) public consensus suggests that applying advanced technology and the active role of government need, 3) a comprehensive and strategic approach with the integration and application of advanced technologies is required as well, 4) investment by both private and public sectors need to deliver social improvements. This study suggests future direction of smart city polity in South Korea in the conclusion.

This study is to explore the relationship between the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the environment using the big data methodology. We scrutinize the trend of the Fourth Industrial revolution, in association with the environment, and provide implications for a more desirable future environmental policy. The results show that the Industrial Revolution has been generally perceived as negative to environment before the 2010s, while it has been widely regarded as positive after the period. It is highly expected that the Fourth Industrial Revolution will be capable of functioning as a new alternative to enhance the quality of the biophysical and social environment. This study justifies that the new wave of technological development may serve as a cure for the enhancement of the environmental quality. The positive linkage between the new technological development and the environment from this study clearly indicates that the environmental industry and environmental technologies will be key economic factors in the next-generation society. They should be of critical importance in shaping our cities into clearer and greener spaces, and people will continuously depend on the development of new environmental technologies in order to correct environmental damages.