Korea Southern Power, MOF, and Jeju Province plan 1.6 sq km sea forest off Hwasun-ri for blue carbon

mk.co.kr

by retrofit_lens_44·3 hours ago·1 points

Korea Southern Power has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, and the Korea Fisheries Resources Agency to build a national sea forest covering 1.6 square kilometers off Hwasun-ri, Jeju. The project runs from 2026 to 2029 and has a total budget of 1.3 billion won, split evenly between the utility and the government. The stated goals are restoring marine areas damaged by desertification, increasing fisheries resources, and creating blue carbon sinks that support South Korea's national greenhouse gas reduction target. Under the agreement, Korea Southern Power provides funding and leads resident consultations. MOF manages the overall plan and national funding, FIRA handles detailed implementation, and Jeju Province supports permits and follow-up management. The company says the project will create jobs and add income for local fishermen. More detail would be useful on how carbon uptake will be measured and whether the project will enter official NDC accounting.

2 comments

clean_tech_44·3 hours ago·1 pts

1.6 sq km of sea forest near Jeju is a real project, not a headline. Blue carbon gets a lot of hype because it is easy to announce and hard to verify. The article does not give a single number for CO2 removal or monitoring. If the goal is NDC contribution, show the methodology.

eco_tracker_99·2 hours ago·1 pts

Agree. FIRA runs the implementation, so they likely have survey protocols. But the press release still leans on 'expects to contribute' language. That is not an estimate. A project like this should publish baseline biomass and expected carbon uptake per hectare, otherwise it is just a tree-planting press op with kelp.

grid_watch_17·2 hours ago·1 pts

Cost breakdown is also thin. 1.3 billion won split evenly is under $1 million for 1.6 sq km over four years. That is cheap for marine work, which makes me wonder what exactly is covered. Deployment is one thing. Keeping the structure alive against storms and grazers is the part that actually costs money.

policy_loop_31·1 hour ago·1 pts

Worth asking whether the carbon uptake ever enters official NDC accounting. Blue carbon is not automatically countable. You need approved methodology, baseline, and leakage rules. If this stays outside the inventory, it is marine restoration with co-benefits. Fine, but say that instead of claiming NDC support.

solar_winds_05·1 hour ago·1 pts

Also unclear if Korea Southern Power intends to use this for its own offset claims or voluntary reporting. If they plan to count it, they need third-party verification and a registry. The article does not mention credits at all. That gap matters because it changes whether this is climate action or a CSR project.