South Korea has an ambitious target of 14.3 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2030. With more than 2,400 kilometres of coastline, the potential for offshore wind is enormous.

As part of the Energy Governance Partnership (EGP), the Danish Energy Agency and the Korean Energy Agency (KEA) have been working closely since 2018 to develop offshore wind in the Republic of Korea. The implementing agreement between the two agencies was reaffirmed during a high-level session in autumn 2024.

The collaboration between Denmark and the Republic of Korea focuses on accelerating the green transition through offshore wind development, particularly by sharing knowledge and best practices to remove regulatory barriers hindering the sector’s expansion.

The Republik of Korea has historically relied on a complex regulatory framework for offshore wind, involving multiple authorities. Several bills (special acts) are pending, aimed at streamlining regulations by consolidating all permits and approvals under a single regulatory body through a one-stop-shop approach. Work on the special acts will continue in 2025.

Since 2022, the Republic of Kores has been steadily developing an auction system, and in 2024, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced a roadmap for future offshore wind auctions, making an expected 8 GW capacity available for bidding through 2026. The auctions will be divided into fixed-bottom and floating wind turbine categories. The roadmap addresses several concerns raised by stakeholders, providing greater predictability regarding the timing and volume of upcoming tenders.