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3.11. In an effort to protect fisheries resources and improve the environment of fishing grounds, Korea has doubled its efforts to collect lost or discarded fishing gears. At the same time, measures have been taken to raise awareness about fisheries protection, through public campaigns, public education and other promotional activities.

3.12. As a result of such efforts, the area of marine forests increased from 15,252 ha in 2017 to 24,258 ha in 2020, and the number of marine ranches increased from 45 to 50 during the same period. The amount of collected lost or discarded fishing gears also continued to rise from 2,180 tonnes in 2017, 2,219 tonnes in 2018, 2,273 tonnes in 2019 and 2,654 tonnes in 2020, help restoring the coastal marine environment and improving the productivity of coastal fishing grounds.

3.14. As part of these efforts, Korea has accelerated the shift towards a smarter and greener industry. Korea has built approximately 20,000 smart factories and seven smart industrial complexes by 2020 to improve the productivity of the manufacturing industry. (...).

3.15. To reduce pollutants produced at manufacturing sites, the Korean Government introduced a total of 98 clean factories and designated around 50 products for remanufacturing by 2020. Korea also aims to lead the new economic order in a greener society under the 2050 carbon neutrality vision, and is planning to establish the "Visions and Strategies for Industrial Transformation to Achieve Carbon Neutrality by 2050."

3.16. The Korean Government has placed its focus on regulation improvements, standardization, and industrial reorganization to advance Korea's industrial ecosystem and promote innovation in the manufacturing sector. (...) The regime helped create new business opportunities, as demonstrated by hydrogen charging stations in urban areas and smart parking robot services. (...).

3.17. In addition, to develop new services, enhance quality, and strengthen safety in the era of the 4th industrial revolution, Korea is making continued efforts to build necessary standards for different sectors, such as electric and autonomous vehicles, energy (hydrogen) and non-memory semiconductor. (...).

3.18. The Korean Government announced the "Third Energy Master Plan" in December 2019 to meet the grand challenge of our time-transition to clean and safe energy. Envisioning "sustainable growth and improved quality of life through energy transition," the Korean Government is committed to innovating energy consumption, making the energy mix cleaner and safer, expanding a distributed and participatory energy system, enhancing the global competitiveness of the energy industry, and solidifying the foundation for energy transition.

3.19. In December 2020, Korea established plans for the power industry and new and renewable energy sectors. For the power industry, the Korean Government adopted the "9th Master Plan for Power Supply and Demand," which includes forecasts for power supply and demand for 2020-2034 alongside plans for demand management, power facilities, improvement of the power market system, and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. It also announced the "5th Master Plan for New and Renewable Energy," which aims to generate 25.8% of electricity from new and renewable energy sources by 2034. This plan covers improvement of the power system, the expansion of demand for renewable energy, and comprehensive policies on new and renewable energy such as hydrogen.

3.21. In October 2020, Korea pledged to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 and announced the 2050 Carbon Neutral Strategy in December 2020. With a strong commitment to "achieving carbon neutrality, economic prosperity, and a better quality of life, all at the same time," Korea has adopted a "3 Plus 1 Strategy," which consists of three policy directions: low-carbon economic structure; low carbon ecosystem for new, promising industries; and a just transition towards a carbon-neutral society, and includes a plan to "strengthen the institutional foundation for carbon neutrality".

4.4. Korea has been making constructive contributions towards the WTO negotiations on fisheries subsidies that aim to accomplish and implement the UN SDGs . Korea has been intensifying its efforts for progress in the negotiations through active participation in both multilateral and bilateral consultations among Members given the recent emphasis at the WTO on the need for a conclusion.