Asia/Pacific News
South Korea Revises Green Ship Certification Rules to Boost Uptake
South Korea has updated its eco-friendly ship certification system in a move aimed at accelerating the adoption of greener technologies across the shipping and shipbuilding sectors.
The revised regulations, which took effect on August 21, expand eligibility for certification to include shipbuilders as well as shipowners, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said in a statement on Tuesday.
The changes also allow for final certification even when unavoidable design changes alter details from the preliminary approval stage.
In addition, the certification standards will now reflect internationally recognised measures, including the ship energy efficiency index for vessels over 400 GT and the operational carbon intensity index for ships of 5,000 GT or more.
The ministry said this brings the system in line with global norms and makes it more practical for the industry.
Launched in 2020, South Korea's eco-friendly ship certification framework assigns grades from one to five based on greenhouse gas reduction performance.
As of July 2025, 119 ships have been certified under the programme.
The government expects demand to grow with the updated rules and will continue offering incentives such as tax cuts and construction fund support to encourage further uptake of green shipping solutions.
"We will continue to promote government-level acquisition tax reductions (up to 2 percentage points) and construction fund support (up to 30% of the ship price) for eco-friendly certified ships to take the lead in reducing greenhouse gases in the shipping industry," Choi Seong-yong, Director General of the Maritime Safety Bureau of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, said.
