Offshore Wind Power Development Framework Changes... Government to Designate Sites and Select Operators

by Lee Dongwoo

Published 17 Mar.2026 13:45(KST)

The government will implement the “designated site” system for offshore wind power development starting this month, under which the government selects sites first and then chooses operators. This marks a shift from the previous approach, where private sector operators individually identified sites, to a government-led development framework.

The Ministry of Climate, Energy, and Environment announced that the Enforcement Decree of the “Special Act on Promoting Offshore Wind Power Deployment and Industry Development” (the Offshore Wind Power Act) was approved at the Cabinet meeting on March 17 and will take effect from March 26. This enforcement decree is a subordinate regulation that details the operational guidelines of the Offshore Wind Power Act enacted last year.

Until now, offshore wind power projects were pursued using a model in which private operators identified sites and obtained permits individually, often resulting in delays due to issues such as insufficient grid capacity, military operational constraints, and conflicts over local acceptance. Through the designated site system, the government aims to reduce such uncertainties and promote orderly development of offshore wind power.

Accordingly, the government will pre-select suitable sites for offshore wind power by comprehensively reviewing factors such as wind conditions, fishing activities, environmental impact, and maritime traffic. After designating these areas as “preliminary zones,” the government will further examine economic feasibility, grid connectivity, and local acceptance before officially designating them as “development zones” and selecting project operators.

Additionally, once an operator is chosen for a development zone, the relevant permitting procedures required by various laws will be handled collectively, enabling faster project implementation.

Yeongsan Yeoksu Offshore Wind Power in Yeonggwang, Jeollanam-do. The Yeoksu Offshore Wind Power project has a capacity of 4.3MW and is a pilot project implemented by Jeonnam Development Corporation, the first local public enterprise to do so, located approximately 2.5km offshore from Baeksu-eup, Yeonggwang County. Photo by Kang Jinhyung

The government will also establish an interagency cooperation system. The “Offshore Wind Power Development Committee” will be newly established under the Prime Minister’s office to deliberate and decide on major policies such as the designation of preliminary and development zones, and to coordinate differing views among relevant ministries.

Measures have also been put in place to improve local acceptance. Local governments must form a public-private consultative body that includes residents, fishers, and experts to discuss benefit-sharing and conflict resolution strategies, with the requirement that representatives of fishers and residents make up more than half of the committee members.

With the implementation of the new law, the government will also begin follow-up actions. First, the Offshore Wind Power Development Committee and working-level committees will be formed as soon as possible, and in collaboration with relevant ministries and local governments, the government plans to identify the first set of candidate preliminary zones within the year.

Minister of Climate, Energy, and Environment Kim Seonghwan stated, “With the implementation of the Offshore Wind Power Act, the government will shift from a development model led by individual operators to a designated site system managed and overseen by the government. We will systematically expand offshore wind power in a way that ensures environmental performance and local acceptance, while sharing the benefits with local communities and residents.”