Permits & Licensing · Stage 3 · Environmental Assessment
Environmental Impact Assessment
환경영향평가
Summary
PublicA draft consultation followed by a main consultation, covering marine ecology, fisheries and coastal impacts. The Act lists plans to develop energy sources among projects subject to environmental impact assessment, with details set by Presidential Decree. The implementer prepares a draft environmental impact assessment report and gathers consensus from residents, and the head of the approving agency must request consultations from the Minister of Climate, Energy and Environment before approving the project. In that review the Minister must hear the opinions of the Korea Environment Institute and, for projects specified by Presidential Decree as affecting the marine environment, the Minister of Oceans and Fisheries. No construction may begin, except certain works the Act lists, and the project plan may not be approved before consultation is completed; after commencing, the implementer must conduct a follow-up survey of environmental impacts.
Sources: Environmental Impact Assessment Act, Article 22, Article 25, Article 27, Article 28, Article 34, Article 36.
Legal basis
Environmental Impact Assessment ActArticle 22 (Projects subject to environmental impact assessment)
제22조(환경영향평가의 대상)
(1) A person who intends to implement (hereinafter referred to as "project implementer") any of the following projects (hereinafter referred to as "projects subject to environmental impact assessment") shall conduct environmental impact assessment:
- 1. An urban development project;
- 2. A plan to develop an industrial site or industrial complex;
- 3. A plan to develop energy sources;
Further text omitted.
Article 27 (Preparation of environmental impact assessment reports, requests for consultation thereon)
제27조(환경영향평가서의 작성 및 협의 요청 등)
Ministry name updated after the official translation: read "Ministry of Environment" as "Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment".
(1) The head of the approving agency shall request the Minister of Environment to hold consultations on a project subject to environmental impact assessment before approving or confirming such project. The head of the approving agency may attach his or her written opinion to the relevant environmental impact assessment report in such cases.
Further text omitted.
Excerpt: paragraph (1) of each article. English text: Official KLRI English. The full articles are in the English translation of the governing law below.
Where it sits in the permit pathway
Stage 3 of 7- 1Wind Measurement2 authorizations
- 2Electricity Business License (EBL)1 authorization
- 3Environmental Assessment2 authorizations
- 4Site Investigation2 authorizations
- 5Public-Waters Use & Navigation Safety2 authorizations
- 6Cross-sector Consents5 authorizations
- 7Construction & Operation2 authorizations
Stages where risk concentrates. See the full permit pathway ›
Related entries in this tracker
| Electricity Business License (EBL) | Stage 2 |
| Marine Use Consultation & Impact Assessment | Stage 3 |
| Geotechnical Survey (GT): Occupancy & Work Plan | Stage 4 |
| Geophysical Survey (GP) | Stage 4 |
| Implementation-plan approval under the Special Act (one-stop) | Special Act |
| The full permit pathway | Permits & Licensing |
English translation of the governing law Premium members
Download English translation (unofficial) · PDFKWI_EN_Environmental-Impact-Assessment-Act_20251001_KLRI.pdf · 115 pages
Official English translation by the Korea Legislation Research Institute (KLRI) for the Korean text in force on 1 October 2025
English translations are provided for convenience. They are unofficial; the Korean original is authoritative.