South Korea moves green shipping corridors from agreements to law

South Korea is moving to a legislative format for developing green shipping corridors: instead of mainly intergovernmental and sectoral memoranda, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries on Tuesday announced that it is preparing subordinate legislation for the Special Act on Support for the Establishment of Green Shipping Corridors.

Key elements of the decision

• A draft of an implementing decree and detailed rules, on which the new law is based, has been prepared. Preparation is underway, followed by a public consultation next week.
• The bill is focused on corridors connecting ports that require the use of low-carbon or zero-emission fuels, electricity and other green technologies across the full maritime transport chain.
• The published rules set criteria for which types of marine fuel are suitable for such corridors, what requirements ports must meet to be considered green, and how the procedure for creating individual corridors is handled.
• The document also notes that similar projects worldwide have so far been implemented mostly through memoranda of understanding between countries, ports, and shipping companies rather than through dedicated national laws.

Link with fleet plans

The initiative is integrated into an expanded fleet and shipyard renewal program. Under the second national plan to deploy green vessels for 2026-2035, Korea plans to support the conversion of 889 ships, both public and private. Separate support is also provided for smaller domestic shipyards through demonstration projects for green ship design and equipment, as well as incentives for building greener tonnage in Korea.