Sungkyunkwan University, Wando County sign MOU on offshore marine plant research

Yoon Hwan-su, left, an associate professor at the Department of Biological Sciences at Sungkyunkwan University and Shin Woo-cheol, Wando County mayor, pose after signing a memorandum of understanding to jointly advance marine research, in Jung District, Seoul, Jan. 6. Courtesy of Sungkyunkwan University.

Sungkyunkwan University said Monday it signed a memorandum of understanding with Wando County in South Jeolla Province to jointly advance marine research and develop an offshore seaweed farming testbed aimed at expanding Korea’s blue carbon capacity.

Under the agreement signed on Jan. 6, the two sides will establish and operate an offshore experimental marine plant farm near Cheongsan Island, aiming to strengthen research infrastructure and accelerate commercialization.

The marine plant biomass production research group, in which the university participates, was established under a Korea–U.S. joint initiative led by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries to develop technologies for seaweed biomass production.

The five-year project aims to lay the groundwork for carbon neutrality by advancing the scientific use and industrialization of the carbon absorbed and stored by marine ecosystems, known as blue carbon. More than 30 domestic institutions, including Sungkyunkwan University, are participating, with total funding reaching 41 billion won ($27.9 million).

The research group will establish an offshore seaweed farming test site in waters near Cheongsan Island in Wando, where seaweed aquaculture infrastructure is already well developed, and strengthen cooperation for its construction and operation.

Key research objectives include identifying new carbon sinks using marine plant biomass, modernizing cultivation techniques through digital and molecular breeding technologies and building smart offshore farming infrastructure capable of operating with long-distance power and communications. The project also aims to establish integrated environmental databases linking physical and biological data to support offshore aquaculture.

The initiative follows growing international recognition of marine plant’s role in carbon sequestration. In October 2025, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reached a consensus to include seaweed as a potential new carbon sink in forthcoming accounting guidelines.

“The partnership will help stabilize offshore test operations while advancing Korea’s offshore aquaculture technology and establishing a credible certification system for marine plant-based blue carbon,” said Yoon Hwan-su, an associate professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Sungkyunkwan University and head of the research group.