Offshore Wind as Industrial Strategy: Strengthening Korea’s Supply Chain for Energy and Economic Security

Addressing climate change and achieving a sustainable energy transition have emerged as two of the most urgent global challenges of the 21st century. In pursuit of net-zero targets, countries around the world are accelerating their deployment of renewable energy. Among these, offshore wind power has gained growing recognition as a strategic pillar of the global energy mix. Compared to onshore wind, offshore wind offers greater generation efficiency, has fewer environmental constraints, and is more conducive to large-scale project development. South Korea has also underscored renewable energy expansion as a key pillar of its 2050 carbon neutrality strategy. In its 10th Basic Plan for Electricity Supply and Demand, the government set a target of installing 14.3 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind capacity by 2030 and has introduced a range of policies and support measures to facilitate this goal. Nevertheless, Korea’s offshore wind market and industry remain in an early stage of development. Structural challenges persist, including a high dependence on foreign-made equipment and weak competitiveness in the domestic supply chain.