Original Korean article: Kuki News
Gunsan City in North Jeolla Province has achieved success in the public-led large-scale offshore wind farm development support project it has pursued since 2022, receiving a high score and a "success" rating in the Korea Energy Agency's final evaluation.
The public-led offshore wind farm development support project is a government support initiative in which local governments discover offshore wind sites and secure community acceptance to create conditions for large-scale offshore wind farm development based on planned-site approaches.
Building the Foundation for Development
Since being selected for the project in 2022, Gunsan City has concentrated its administrative efforts on laying the groundwork for creating an offshore wind integrated zone centered on waters near Eocheong Island.
During the project implementation process, the city conducted extensive consultations with relevant agencies including Korea Electric Power Corporation, military units, and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries on major issues such as marine site consulting, power grid connection, military operational considerations, and marine use and fishing activities. This established the foundation for large-scale offshore wind farm development.
Securing Community Acceptance
To secure community acceptance, Gunsan City operated a Public-Private Council with local residents, fishermen, and experts participating a total of 19 times, discussing the project target area, implementation direction, and win-win solutions while building consensus.
Through active communication with residents of Eocheong Island, the project area, the city secured community acceptance and received designation in March from the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment as an offshore wind integrated zone with a capacity of 1.02 gigawatts.
Connecting to Regional Growth
Gunsan City is continuing business attraction activities and working-level meetings with offshore wind-related companies to link offshore wind to regional industrial restructuring and future growth momentum.
If Gunsan Port is reflected as a dedicated offshore wind port in the government's revised Fourth National Port Master Plan, the city plans to strengthen offshore wind support functions centered on Gunsan Port's Pier 7 area.
A Gunsan City official stated, "This success in the final evaluation is the fruit of joint efforts by Gunsan City, residents, and relevant agencies for public-led offshore wind development. We will work to create a Gunsan-style offshore wind industry ecosystem by linking the integrated zone, Gunsan Port, and the surrounding industrial complex so that it can serve as a future growth engine."
