International Environmental Research Center (IERC) is located in Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), which is located in the Gwangju Science and Technology Park in a northern suburb of Gwangju, Korea. The city of Gwangju is situated 200 miles south of Seoul and 150 miles west of Pusan.

Gwangju is well known for its cultural activities. In 1995, the city began hosting the Gwangju Biennale, a biennial international art Olympiad, on a regular basis. Gwangju is also famous for its excellent cuisine. Every year the city hosts food festivals featuring a wide variety of foods. In the downtown area of Gwangju, one can find many restaurants, movie theaters and shops, including big department stores.

The city can be easily reached by air, road and rail from Seoul, Pusan and other major cities throughout the nation. The Korean Traditional Folk Village, Jiri-san National Park, Naejang-san National Park, the Muju Ski Resort and Moodung-san Provincial Park, which attract great numbers of tourists from all over the country, are all within a few hours' reach.