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Sand and gravel-related items are restricted to protect natural resources

Korea's relatively complex indirect tax structure comprises a a transportation-energy-environment tax applied to inputs of petroleum products used in their production as well as an environmental waste charges on certain items that contain harmful substances and are difficult to recycle (Act on Promotion of Saving and Recycling of Resource)

Measures involving grants, tax concessions, and low-interest loans support production and trade of various agricultural, forestry, fishing, and manufactured products, and encourage SME, R&D, and environmental-protection activities, including green technology, such as renewable energy

State involvement in the economy includes the Korea District Heating Corp (KDHC) involved in, inter alia, thermal energy supply for space heating and the Korea Rural Community and Agriculture Corp involved in, inter alia, the improvement of rural living environment

Green technology benefiting from government-supported R&D has been allowed speedy patent screening/examination

Confidential data submitted to authorities for marketing approval of pharmaceuticals and agricultural chemicals are prohibited from public disclosure unless the authorities see a public interest need such as environmental protection

In 2009, an agricultural policy reform framework was presented by a council for the modernization of Korean agriculture, where policy-makers and stakeholders agreed on more market orientation as well as on promoting more environmentally friendly practices in order to prevent, inter alia, soil erosion and soil acidification

Efforts to reduce over-fishing continued despite fisheries-related subsidies, and action was taken to encourage environment-friendly offshore aquaculture

Efforts have been made to reduce oil dependence and to cope with rising energy demand in several ways, including through increasing the share of renewable sources in total primary energy supply and projects overseas

Support was focused on activities termed as new growth engines with the objective of, inter alia, increasing exports of green goods (e.g. electric cars) by the major industries