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Youngah Guahk’s book addresses one of the key issues of our time – the process of sustainable transition in modern, industrial societies – by looking at the dynamics associated with this objective at the local level in South Korea. In the context of ongoing urbanisation, the creation of eco-cities has been a crucial aspect in this regard, especially in East Asia, and Guahk’s book illuminates key aspects of the process of urban sustainable transition. Towards this aim, it investigates specific examples of Korean local governments embarking on the path towards a sustainable urban development and assesses their achievements. Making use of a range of sources and data collections methods, the book studies two diverse cases in great depth: the city of Suwon where disputes about the cost of economic development led to a reversal of public policy and the partial success in achieving sustainable transition, and the province of Jeju, where the concern to safeguard the natural heritage and the important tourism industry guided a long-term effort by local leaders to achieve international recognition. Comparing systematically the aims, strategies and decision-making processes in these two contexts illuminates the relative roles played by local leaders, central governments, civil society representatives and even international organisations. In this way, Guahk’s book contributes to our understanding of the challenges, driving forces and limitations with regard to sustainable transition at the local level, not only in South Korea, but also more generally.