Permits & Licensing · Stage 4 · Site Investigation
Geotechnical Survey (GT): Occupancy & Work Plan
지반조사(GT): 점사용 및 공사계획
Summary
PublicIntrusive geotechnical surveys (boreholes, CPT) disturb the seabed and require a public-waters occupancy/use permit and its implementation (work) plan, from the local government in territorial waters and from the regional Oceans & Fisheries office in the EEZ. Onshore boreholes along the cable route need a separate local-government permit. It is one of the three public-waters occupancy permits a developer must obtain and supplies EIA baseline data and the basic design. Under the Act, before starting related work a permit holder must obtain approval of, or report, an implementation plan for occupancy or use, depending on the act and scale set by Presidential Decree: approval within one year of the permit, or a report within six months, extendable once for unavoidable causes such as natural disaster. Failing to do so is a ground on which the permission may be revoked.
Sources: Public Waters Management and Reclamation Act, Article 17, Article 19.
Legal basis
Public Waters Management and Reclamation ActArticle 8 (Permission to Occupy or Use of Public Waters)
제8조(공유수면의 점용ㆍ사용허가)
KWI translation. The Korean text of this Article changed after the official English translation; KWI amended the official English to match.
(1) A person who intends to perform any of the following acts shall obtain permission to occupy or use of public waters (hereinafter referred to as "occupancy or use") from the management agency of public waters (hereinafter referred to as "permission to occupy or use") as prescribed by Presidential Decree:
- 1. Newly constructing, renovating, extending, altering, or removing a wharf, a breakwater, a bridge, a floodgate, new and renewable energy facilities (referring to renewable energy facilities referred to in subparagraph 3 of Article 2 of the Act on the Promotion of the Development, Use and Diffusion of Renewable Energy, fuel cells, etc. referred to in subparagraph 6 of Article 2 of the Hydrogen Economy Promotion and Hydrogen Safety Management Act, and hydrogen energy facilities referred to in subparagraph 12 of Article 2 of that Act; hereafter in this Chapter the same shall apply), a building (referring to a building provided for in Article 2 (1) 2 of the Building Act which is installed without developing land on the pubic waters; hereafter in this Chapter the same shall apply), or other artificial structure on any public waters;
- 2. Excavating any land contiguous to public waters below the surface of the public waters;
- 3. Dredging or excavating the bottom of public waters;
Further text omitted.
Article 17 (Authorization of Implementation Plans for Occupancy or Use)
제17조(점용ㆍ사용 실시계획의 승인 등)
(1) Any person who has obtained permission to occupy or use for performing an act determined by Presidential Decree, relating to the scale of an artificial structure and total construction expenses, among acts falling under Article 8 (1) 1 through 4 shall obtain approval of an implementation plan for occupancy or use of public waters (hereinafter referred to as "implementation plan for occupancy or use") from the management agency of public waters in advance before starting related work. The same shall apply where he or she intends to change matters determined by Presidential Decree, among the approved matters.
Further text omitted.
Excerpt: paragraph (1) of each article. English text: Official KLRI English, updated by KWI. The full articles are in the English translation of the governing law below.
Where it sits in the permit pathway
Stage 4 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
| Environmental Impact Assessment | Stage 3 |
| Marine Use Consultation & Impact Assessment | Stage 3 |
| Geophysical Survey (GP) | Stage 4 |
| Public-Waters Occupancy Permit: Project | Stage 5 |
| Maritime Traffic Safety Audit | Stage 5 |
| 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_Public-Waters-Management-and-Reclamation-Act_20260918_KLRI-KWI.pdf · 103 pages
Based on the official KLRI English text, checked and updated by KWI against the Korean text in force on 18 September 2026
English translations are provided for convenience. They are unofficial; the Korean original is authoritative.
