Hyundai Motor, First Private Company to Participate in Creating 'Badasup' Marine Forest

Plan to Develop a Total Area of 3.14㎢ Across Two Ulsan Marine Zones by 2027

Hyundai Motor Company becomes the first private company to participate in the government-led Sea Forest Creation Project.

On the 31st, Hyundai Motor signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the promotion of the Sea Forest Creation Project with Ulsan City and the Korea Fisheries Resources Agency at Ulsan City Hall. Key officials attending the event included Kim Dong-min, Head of Hyundai Motor’s Ulsan General Affairs Office, Jeong Ho-dong, Director of Ulsan City’s Economic Industry Office, and Choi Seong-gyun, Director of the Korea Fisheries Resources Agency’s East Sea Headquarters.

The sea forest refers to areas along coastal waters where seaweed thrives densely, forming forest-like ecosystems. It is highly regarded for its role in expanding blue carbon (carbon absorbed by marine ecosystems) and enhancing fishery resources. According to the Korea Fisheries Resources Agency’s report on the “Sea Forest Project Achievements,” approximately 337 tons of carbon dioxide are absorbed annually per 1㎢ of sea forest.

The government has also recognized the beneficial functions of sea forests and announced plans to newly create 18 sea forests this year, focusing on the Jeju and East Sea regions.

Through the MOU, Hyundai Motor will officially begin the sea forest creation project in the first half of this year. By 2027, it plans to establish sea forests covering a total area of 3.14㎢ in two coastal areas: Jujeon-dong in Dong-gu and Dangsa-dong in Buk-gu, Ulsan City.

Hyundai Motor will invest 2 billion KRW in this process. The company also plans to participate in utilizing carbon credits secured through sea forest creation and in investigating the blue carbon resource volume of the sea forests.

Meanwhile, the specific project execution, such as seaweed transplantation, will be handled by the Korea Fisheries Resources Agency, a public institution under the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries. Established in 2011 to protect and nurture fishery resources, the agency has created sea forests covering approximately 317.2㎢ across 245 locations to date.

The newly created sea forests will utilize methods including ▲direct seaweed transplantation (attaching and fixing seeds to natural rock formations), ▲underwater longline facilities (connecting seaweed seed ropes to structures and floating them underwater for dispersion), and ▲artificial pouch facilities (placing mature seaweed in natural material pouches to induce mass spore release in a short time).

Kim Dong-min, Head of Hyundai Motor’s Ulsan General Affairs Office, said, “We are pleased to participate in this nationally driven project,” adding, “We will do our best to ensure the successful creation of the sea forests.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.