Korea Advances Green Shipping Corridor Act with Draft Regulations

The Republic of Korea’s Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF) has released a draft Enforcement Decree and Enforcement Rules for the Act on Support for the Establishment of Green Shipping Corridors (Green Shipping Corridor Act). A public consultation period for these draft regulations began on 2 September and will run until 13 October.

The Green Shipping Corridor Act, enacted in 2026, is scheduled to take effect on 1 April 2027. It aims to establish a legal framework to support both domestic green shipping routes and international corridors connecting Korean ports with overseas counterparts. According to Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide, Korea is the first nation globally to enact dedicated legislation to support the establishment of green shipping corridors.

The proposed implementing regulations detail the framework for putting the Act into practice. This includes specifying eligible fuels and technologies for green ships, outlining requirements for environmentally friendly ports, and defining criteria and procedures for designating green shipping corridors.

International Cooperation and Policy Clarity

Korea has already expanded its cooperation on green shipping corridors with several maritime partners. Initiatives include a collaboration with the United States, which started in 2022, to develop a corridor between Busan and the ports of Seattle and Tacoma, later extended to include Ulsan. Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) were also signed with Australia in February 2025 and with Singapore in November 2025 for green and digital shipping corridors. The new legal framework is expected to facilitate the transition of these initiatives from planning and cooperation to implementation.

Dr. Han-Seon Park, Senior Research Fellow at the Korea Maritime Institute (KMI) and an International Maritime Organization Delegate for MOF, stated that the Act reflects the government's commitment to shipping decarbonisation through concrete policy and action. He emphasised the importance of clear specifications for eligible fuels, such as methanol, ammonia, and hydrogen, within the implementing regulations to provide policy certainty for long-term investment in zero- and near-zero-emission shipping.

Industry Response and Future Implementation

Pacific Environment has welcomed the clearer direction provided by the proposed regulations regarding eligible fuels and propulsion technologies. These include methanol, hydrogen, ammonia, renewable synthetic fuels, electric propulsion, and fuel-cell systems. The environmental organisation noted that clear eligibility criteria can foster policy certainty and accelerate the shift towards zero- and near-zero-emission shipping.

Hyunju Kang, Climate Campaign Director, Asia at Pacific Environment, specifically highlighted the decision not to include LNG among the specified eligible fuels. Kang stated that Korea's pioneering legislation and its implementing regulations are anticipated to provide the necessary momentum to move existing domestic and international green shipping initiatives from planning to actual implementation and operation. Pacific Environment plans to engage in the public consultation process and advocate for robust implementation, including clear budget allocations, investment priorities, and mechanisms for supporting eligible fuels, port infrastructure, and green corridor development. They also stressed the importance of rigorous lifecycle-based greenhouse gas and sustainability criteria for fuels, transparent measurement systems, and clear timelines for infrastructure development.