South Korea moves to establish green shipping corridors with new legislation
- Published
by Admin
South Korea’s Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF) on Wednesday (26 August) has proposed implementing regulations for its Green Shipping Corridor Support Act, as the country steps up efforts to accelerate maritime decarbonisation and expand the use of low- and zero-carbon fuels.
The ministry said it would open a public consultation on draft enforcement regulations for the legislation from 2 September to 13 October 2026. The Green Shipping Corridor Support Act is scheduled to enter into force on 1 April 2027.
Green shipping corridors are intended to enable carbon-free transportation between ports by using low- and zero-carbon fuels and environmentally friendly technologies throughout the logistics and shipping process.
South Korea enacted the Green Shipping Corridor Support Act as the world’s first dedicated legislation to support the development of green shipping corridors.
The proposed enforcement decree and regulations will establish detailed criteria and procedures covering matters delegated under the Act, including the marine fuels to be used by green vessels operating on designated corridors, requirements for environmentally friendly ports capable of supplying those fuels, development of basic plans, and the designation and public notification of green shipping corridors.
In parallel, the MOF and Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) are implementing the Second Basic Plan for the Development and Distribution of Eco-Friendly Ships (2026–2035), which was jointly developed to reflect rapidly changing technology and policy conditions in South Korea and overseas.
The plan is built around five strategic priorities: research and development of future ships capable of reducing carbon emissions; commercialisation of new technologies; expansion of environmentally friendly marine-fuel supply infrastructure; deployment of eco-friendly vessels; and development of a green shipping and shipbuilding ecosystem.
Under the plan, the government aims to support the conversion of 889 private and public-sector vessels to more environmentally friendly ships by 2035.
The government also plans to strengthen the competitiveness of small and medium-sized shipbuilders and marine equipment manufacturers, which it said remain relatively disadvantaged compared with major shipyards. Support will focus on areas including eco-friendly ship design and the demonstration of green marine equipment and technologies.
South Korea also intends to strengthen strategic links between the shipbuilding and shipping sectors to encourage the domestic construction of eco-friendly vessels.
The MOF said it would use the new legislation and the second basic plan as the foundation for building a maritime decarbonisation ecosystem and supporting South Korean companies in competing for a leading position in global markets.
Photo credit: Lauren Seo on Unsplash
Published: 31 August, 2026
