The legal foundation of Korean offshore wind
Last updated Oct 7, 2026
Korean offshore wind rests on 6 statutes in force. The Offshore Wind Special Act reorganised how sites are chosen and who may develop them. The Electric Utility Act governs the Electricity Business Licence (EBL) that every project must hold, together with grid connection and the wholesale market. The Act on the Promotion of the Development, Use and Diffusion of Renewable Energy carries the Renewable Portfolio Standard, the REC market with its offshore distance and depth multipliers, and the fixed price auction through which projects are selected.
Three further laws set the frame rather than the rules. The Framework Act on Carbon Neutrality and Green Growth legislates the 2050 net zero goal and the 2030 emissions target that create demand for the capacity. The Energy Act provides the basis for the national energy master plan. The Distributed Energy Activation Act shapes where generation may sit relative to demand.
The 6 statutes in force
| Statute | Type | Korean original Free members | English translation Premium members |
|---|---|---|---|
| Offshore Wind Special Act해상풍력 보급 촉진 및 산업 육성에 관한 특별법 · 시행령 · 시행규칙The framework law that turns Korea’s offshore wind from developer-led projects into a government-led planned-siting regime: the single most consequential piece of the legal framework. In force since 26 March 2026 together with its Enforcement Decree and Enforcement Rules. | Special Act | Act ↗Enforcement Decree ↗Enforcement Rules ↗ | EN translation · PDF |
| Act on the Promotion of the Development, Use and Diffusion of Renewable Energy재생에너지 개발ㆍ이용ㆍ보급 촉진법The foundational renewable-energy law. It establishes the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS, in force since 2012) obliging generators above 500 MW to supply a rising share from renewables; the Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) market and its offshore-wind distance and depth multipliers; and the fixed-price competitive auction (a 20-year REC offtake) through which offshore-wind projects are selected. Administered by the Ministry of Climate, Energy & Environment (some provisions by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources) and the Korea Energy Agency (KEA). | Foundational law | Full text (law.go.kr) ↗ | EN translation · PDF |
| Electric Utility Act전기사업법The backbone law of the electricity industry. It governs the Electricity Business Licence (EBL) (the anchor generation permit every offshore-wind project must hold) together with the wholesale power market, grid connection and transmission, and the roles of KEPCO and the generation companies. Administered by the Ministry of Climate, Energy & Environment and the Electricity Regulatory Commission. | Foundational law | Full text (law.go.kr) ↗ | EN translation · PDF |
| Framework Act on Carbon Neutrality and Green Growth기후위기 대응을 위한 탄소중립·녹색성장 기본법The climate framework law (promulgated September 2021, in force March 2022). It legislates the 2050 carbon-neutrality goal and the 2030 Nationally Determined Contribution (a 40% cut from 2018 levels) that drive the renewable-energy expansion offshore wind serves. In 2024 the Constitutional Court found the absence of binding 2031-2049 targets unconstitutional, requiring the government to strengthen them. | Framework law | Full text (law.go.kr) ↗ | EN translation · PDF |
| Energy Act에너지법The general framework for national energy policy. It provides the basis for the national energy master plan, energy statistics and technology policy that set the long-term direction within which renewable and offshore-wind deployment is planned. Administered by the Ministry of Climate, Energy & Environment. | Foundational law | Full text (law.go.kr) ↗ | EN translation · PDF |
| Distributed Energy Activation Act분산에너지 활성화 특별법A 2024 law promoting distributed generation and local consumption to relieve grid congestion. It introduces distributed-energy special zones and demand-siting measures: increasingly relevant to how large offshore-wind capacity connects to, and is absorbed by, the grid. Administered by the Ministry of Climate, Energy & Environment. | Special law | Full text (law.go.kr) ↗ | EN translation · PDF |
See each law's key provisions and the bills before the Assembly › Read more about the Special Act ›