Wando County in South Jeolla Province is accelerating the implementation of its “Wando-type Ocean Pension” project, which returns profits from carbon trading generated through seaweed-based blue carbon to local residents. Momentum for this initiative has increased following the agreement at the 63rd Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) meeting in Lima, Peru last October, where guidelines were adopted recognizing seaweed as a new carbon sink. Once seaweed is officially confirmed as a carbon sink, the project is expected to not only support national greenhouse gas reduction goals and contribute to the government’s 2050 carbon neutrality policy but also generate significant positive economic impacts for the local community.
Wando County Leads Blue Carbon Industrialization
- Largest seaweed producer in Korea, contributing over 50% of national output
- Pioneering blue carbon industrialization
- Pristine marine environment has attracted ongoing collaborations with global organizations like the World Bank and WWF
Toward a Global Seaweed Blue Carbon Hub
The military is currently collaborating with the Korea Fisheries Resources Agency (KFRA) on a “Blue Credit Pilot Project,” which converts carbon absorbed by fishermen through aquaculture and management activities into tradable credits, thereby providing an additional source of income. In partnership with private companies, including Hyosung Group and Korea Electric Power Corporation, the military is also implementing a sea forest creation project to expand the habitat of seagrass, a type of blue carbon recognized as biomass. Looking ahead, the military aims to strengthen its policy and technology network with the government, research institutes, and private companies by establishing a dedicated task force and a carbon absorption belt council, with the ultimate goal of becoming a “global seaweed blue carbon hub”.