Abstract
A wide range of projects for ocean renewable energy are currently in development around the world and ocean energy industries continue to receive significant support from their governments. Surrounded by sea on three sides, Korea has potentially abundant renewable ocean energy resources, which include tidal current, tidal range, offshore wind power, osmotic pressure and ocean thermal energy. Numerous ocean renewable energy projects has been developed in Korea. Nevertheless, there are some concerns that those developments often select an environmentally unsuitable location and/or there are very few existing information on those environmental effects. The purpose of this study is to improve supporting policies and regulation systems of ocean renewable energy development in Korea by reviewing and compiling government policies and environmental assessment systems related to ocean renewable energy development around the world. The study suggests several policy implications for its environmental-friendly development in Korea, including requirements of strategic environmental assessment for proactive and environmentally suitable site selection of ocean renewable energy development and continuous post-development environmental monitoring, and so on.