Kelp forest management in South Korea is led primarily by the Korea Fisheries Resources Agency (FIRA) through the national Marine Forest Program. Initiated in 2009 and scheduled to run until 2030, the programme targets restoration of 54,000 ha of kelp forests (Yang et al. 2019; Eger et al. 2020). The programme continues to expand, with an additional US$0.88 million allocated in 2025.

Restoration approaches include substrate enhancement, transplantation and spore dispersal, supplementary planting, and ongoing maintenance, alongside efforts to quantify blue carbon functions. Projects include four years of post-intervention monitoring to assess ecological outcomes and support adaptive management when targets are not met.

A more recent development is increased private-sector involvement. An undisclosed company, working with the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and FIRA, has supported restoration near Pohang, donating approximately USD 7.35 million to restore 2.28 km². The stated motivations include biodiversity benefits and enhanced blue carbon capacity.

The Korean government is increasingly framing marine forests as blue carbon ecosystems. According to FIRA, the 291.82 km² of marine forests established to date are estimated to sequester approximately 98,000 tonnes of CO₂, described as equivalent to the annual emissions of about 40,000 vehicles. These efforts are also being supported by governance reforms, including shifts from municipality-led models toward integrated national–local co-management systems.

South Korea’s large-scale marine forest restoration—underway since the early 2000s and led by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries—has gradually broadened beyond government-led projects to involve fishers, civic groups, and private enterprises, including through ESG-linked programmes. This evolution creates an opportunity to move from one-off interventions to sustained management, monitoring, and service delivery.

At the policy level, the work is embedded within national strategies including the Basic Plan for the Development of Marine and Fisheries, the Marine Environment Management Master Plan, and the Carbon Neutrality Roadmap, strengthening alignment between restoration and climate mitigation goals.