South Korea’s Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF) said it has drawn up a 2026 government budget proposal of KRW 7,328.7 billion, an 8.1% (KRW 547.1 billion) increase from KRW 6,781.6 billion in 2025.
The ministry cited programs to lead the era of the Arctic route, support AX (AI transition) across maritime and fisheries, and respond to climate risks as the main drivers.
By area, the draft allocates KRW 3,456.3 billion to fisheries and fishing villages (+8.4%), KRW 2,137.3 billion to shipping and ports (+2.6%), KRW 1,068.0 billion to logistics/other marine industries (+12.1%), KRW 421.2 billion to the marine environment (+21.7%), and KRW 245.9 billion to science and technology research support (+15.3%).
The separate R&D line is KRW 840.5 billion (+12.2%); including the Climate Response Fund, the R&D total is stated as KRW 936.7 billion, described as a record size. Within the relatively low-growth shipping/ports pillar, the ministry said “shipping and maritime” items rise 10.0%, while port SOC rises 0.8% to reflect required ex-ante procedures such as feasibility studies and inter-agency consultations.
To “lead the era of the Arctic route,” MOF plans support for ice-class vessel construction and skills training for polar seafarers, alongside R&D such as next-generation icebreaking research vessel construction (KRW 79 → 611 billion) and development of an eco-friendly icebreaking container ship (new KRW 3.7 billion).
For global logistics hubs, the plan includes Arctic cargo–specific base ports and large-scale eco-friendly, smart ports—such as Busan New Port (Jinhae) (KRW 434.7 → 462.2 billion) and Gwangyang Port automation testbed (KRW 5.5 → 65.8 billion)—plus road access projects including Saemangeum North Access Road (KRW 37.2 billion) and Pyeongtaek-Dangjin West Wharf Access Road (new KRW 1.0 billion). Port infrastructure expansion totals KRW 1.66 trillion.
To meet international environmental rules (IMO, greenhouse-gas cuts), the program expands eco-friendly ship deployment (KRW 33.5 → 44.5 billion), installs mass-flow meters on bunkering vessels to normalize fuel supply (pilot 4 ships in 2025 → 24 ships in 2026), and hosts international events including the 4th UN Ocean Conference and World Maritime Day.
On fisheries, MOF targets end-to-end competitiveness from production to export (KRW 821.7 → 957.6 billion). Measures include smart-aquaculture transition with a “smart innovation leading zone” (new KRW 28.5 billion) and wider rollout of advanced/smart farming systems (e.g., KRW 5.1 → 12.5 billion; new KRW 0.6 billion for laver seed facilities). For distant-water fisheries, the budget supports new vessel construction and surveys (KRW 17.6 → 21.8 billion).
Distribution policies add contract production financing for laver (new KRW 40.8 billion), expand working-capital loans for auction houses and wholesale markets (KRW 131.3 → 194.3 billion, loans), and build four low-temperature eco-friendly auction facilities and four production-area distribution facilities. Processing and exports feature replacement of aging equipment (KRW 2.1 → 10.2 billion), export vouchers and logistics infrastructure, and overseas market development (KRW 54.6 → 78.2 billion; total KRW 54.6 → 78.2 billion for overseas market development within KRW 54.6 → 78.2 billion export line 546 → 782).
For fishing-village vitality, the ministry plans 34 new large-scale economic and living hubs, expanded youth settlement support (KRW 13.0 → 16.9 billion), and telemedicine “Eobok Bus” services for island residents (operation budget cited as new).
Climate-risk measures support farmed-species switching to counter high-temperature damage (new KRW 3.2 billion), expand disaster response equipment and aid (KRW 25.0 → 49.3 billion), bolster coastal protection works (KRW 87.2 → 114.2 billion), and scale blue-carbon and sea-forest programs to lower emissions (KRW 229.5 → 382.1 billion).
To foster “dynamic future marine industries,” the draft funds AX with AI: rapid commercialization of AI applications (new KRW 45.0 billion) and a broader AX budget (KRW 33.3 → 148.7 billion). It adds business support for marine-sector firms (KRW 3.0 → 6.0 billion) and a coastal-enterprise-focused fund (new KRW 20.0 billion).
With the Offshore Wind Special Act effective March 2026, MOF sets KRW 2.0 billion for siting-information analysis and impact studies. Marine bio includes regional hubs such as a mass-production plant for marine-bio materials in Seocheon, Chungnam (new KRW 0.5 billion) and a seaweed-bio smart factory in Wando, Jeonnam (new KRW 0.7 billion), plus R&D for anti-aging materials and recombinant-drug production technologies (new KRW 4.9 billion and new KRW 2.1 billion).
For biodiversity, MOF will expand candidate surveys to secure 30% marine protected areas by 2030 (sites 1 → 2) and fund the National Marine Species Restoration Center (KRW 1.0 → 13.4 billion).
Sovereignty and safety items include stronger enforcement against illegal fishing (KRW 98.1 → 109.2 billion), construction of a marine research vessel (new KRW 2.7 billion, R&D), and AI-based maritime video-analysis R&D (new KRW 3.5 billion). Safety measures add equipment to counter GPS interference (new KRW 0.4 billion), a marine fog observation system (new KRW 1.7 billion; overall new risks response KRW 0.5 → 2.7 billion), and expanded proactive accident-prevention systems including a smart ship-safety support center (KRW 43.3 → 51.7 billion).
To cut marine waste, the deposit system for fishing gear and buoys expands from pots to gillnets, buoys and eel pots (KRW 8.4 → 10.7 billion).
Environmental monitoring will track discharges including Saemangeum offshore and secondary-battery plants (marine environment surveillance system KRW 19.7 → 21.4 billion).