South Korea is introducing a government-led system for offshore wind site development, targeting 25 GW of preliminary development zones by 2031.

The country’s first Offshore Wind Power Committee approved the planned-siting regime on 2 September 2026. Under the new framework, the government will identify potential offshore wind areas instead of leaving site selection to individual developers.

The assessment process will consider wind resources, environmental conditions, fisheries, maritime traffic and military factors. The government will also seek local acceptance before selecting developers.

The planned 25 GW of preliminary development zones is expected to support around 20 GW of additional offshore wind capacity.

Government projections put cumulative offshore wind deployment at 3.1 GW in 2030, increasing to 25 GW in 2035 and 45 GW by 2040.

South Korea plans to designate its first preliminary development zone before the end of 2026. Projects developed under the new regime could begin operations from 2033.

After developers are selected, the government also intends to coordinate up to 42 separate permitting procedures rather than requiring companies to handle them individually.