The purpose of this Decree is to prescribe matters mandated by the Act on the Maintenance and Promotion of Carbon Sinks and matters necessary for its enforcement.
| (1) | “Forests prescribed by Presidential Decree” in subparagraph 1 of Article 2 of the Act on the Maintenance and Promotion of Carbon Sinks (hereinafter referred to as “the Act”) means forests that meet all of the following requirements: <Amended on Sep. 19, 2017> |
| 1. | Area: 5,000 square meters or more; |
| 2. | Canopy closure rate (referring to the ratio of the vertical projection area of the canopy to a given land area, and the specific calculation methods shall be determined and publicly notified by the Administrator of the Korea Forest Service): 10 percent or more; |
| 3. | Average tree height: 5 meters or more: provided, the requirement for average tree height shall not apply to forests intended for the supply of forest biomass energy pursuant to Article 13 (1) 1. |
| (2) | In subparagraph 3 of Article 2 of the Act, "the time specified by Presidential Decree" means December 31, 1989. |
| (3) | In subparagraph 4 of Article 2 of the Act, "activities specified by Presidential Decree" means any of the following activities: |
| 1. | Forest improvement activities such as forest renewal, weeding, vine removal, tending of young trees, thinning, etc.; |
| 2. | Timber harvesting activities through clear-cutting or selective cutting, and other similar methods; |
| 3. | Other activities for maintaining and enhancing forest carbon sequestration in accordance with the international standards. |
| Article 3 (Formulation of Comprehensive Plan for Enhancement of Carbon Sinks) |
| (1) | "Matters prescribed by Presidential Decree" in Article 5 (2) 7 of the Act means the following matters: |
| 1. | Matters concerning the procurement of financial resources necessary for the implementation of the comprehensive plan for the promotion of carbon sinks under Article 5 of the Act (hereinafter referred to as the "comprehensive plan"); |
| 2. | Matters related to the management and improvement of carbon sinks under Articles 9, 10, 13, and 15 through 18 of the Act; |
| 3. | Matters related to research and development under Article 29 of the Act; |
| 4. | Matters related to education and training and publicity under Article 31 of the Act; |
| 5. | Other matters necessary for implementing the comprehensive plan. |
| (2) | In the proviso of Article 5 (3) of the Act, "minor matters specified by Presidential Decree" means any of the following matters: <Amended on Sep. 19, 2017> |
| 1. | In case of changing the implementation period of projects related to matters specified in Article 5 (2) 3 through 7 of the Act within the implementation period of the comprehensive plan; |
| 2. | In case of changing the total project cost according to the comprehensive plan within the range of 10/100; |
| 3. | In case of reflecting any modifications following the enforcement, amendment, or abolition of other statutes and regulations; |
| 4. | In case of correction of matters due to simple errors, omissions, etc. |
| (4) | When the Minister of the Korea Forest Service formulates or changes a comprehensive plan, he or she shall publicly notify its main details in the official gazette and post the details according to the following classifications on the website of the Korea Forest Services: |
| 1. | When the comprehensive plan is formulated: The entire content of the formulated comprehensive plan; |
| 2. | When the comprehensive plan is modified: The entire content of the modified comprehensive plan and the details of modification. |
| Article 4 (Formulation of Annual Action Plans) |
| (1) | The Administrator of the Korea Forest Service shall establish an annual action plan pursuant to Article 6 (1) of the Act by December 31 of the year preceding the relevant plan year. <Amended on Sep. 19, 2017> |
| (2) | If the Administrator of the Korea Forest Service deems it necessary to strengthen connectivity with the comprehensive plan or efficiently implement the comprehensive plan, he or she may change the annual action plan established pursuant to paragraph (1). |
| (3) | When an annual action plan is formulated or modified, the public notification in the official gazette and the posting on the website regarding its content shall be governed by Article 3 (4). |
| Article 5 (Matters for Deliberation by Board on Improvement of Carbon Sinks) |
"Matters prescribed by Presidential Decree" in Article 7 (1) 5 of the Act means the following matters: <Amended on Sep. 19, 2017> | 1. | Matters related to linkage with overseas voluntary forest carbon sequestration markets and international cooperation; |
| 1-2. | Matters related to the certification of forest carbon sequestration pursuant to Article 21 (1) of the Act; |
| 2. | Matters concerning the selection of technologies to be fostered pursuant to Article 29 (2); |
| 3. | Other matters deemed necessary by the Administrator of the Korea Forest Service to maintain and enhance carbon sinks. |
| Article 6 (Composition of Board on Improvement of Carbon Sinks) |
| (1) | The Board on Improvement of Carbon Sinks (hereinafter referred to as “the Board") under Article 7 of the Act shall be composed of up to 20 members, including one chairperson and two vice-chairpersons. |
| (2) | The Deputy Administrator of the Korea Forest Service shall serve as the chairperson of the Board, and the vice-chairperson shall be a person elected from among the board members and a public official in the Senior Executive Service of the Korea Forest Service who is in charge of carbon sink-related affairs. |
| 1. | A person recommended by the head of the relevant agency among the public officials in the Senior Executive Service belonging to the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the Office for Government Policy Coordination, and the Korea Meteorological Administration; |
| 2. | A person with extensive knowledge and experience in climate change, forestry, economy, environment, international conventions, etc., recommended by the head of a relevant agency or organization, who falls under any of the following categories: |
| (a) | A person who is or has served as an assistant professor or higher at a university under subparagraph 1 of Article 2 the Higher Education Act; |
| (b) | A person with at least 3 years of research or practical experience after obtaining a doctoral degree; |
| (c) | A person with at least 9 years of research or practical experience after obtaining a master's degree; |
| (e) | Any other person recognized by the Administrator of the Korea Forest Service as having the same level of knowledge and experience as those specified in subparagraphs (a) through (c). |
| (4) | The term of office of the board members under paragraph (3) 2 shall be 2 years, but they may be reappointed only twice. <Amended on Sep. 19, 2017> |
| (5) | In the event of a vacancy of a member pursuant to paragraph (3) 2, a new member shall be appointed, but the term of the newly appointed member shall be the remaining term of the predecessor member. <Added on Sep. 19, 2017> |
| Article 7 (Operation of Board) |
| (1) | The chairperson of the Board shall represent the Board and oversee its affairs. |
| (2) | If the chairperson of the Board is unable to perform his or her duties due to unavoidable reasons, the duties shall be performed on his or her behalf in the following order by the elected vice-chairperson, the vice-chairperson who is a public official in the Senior Executive Service of the Korea Forest Service, and a board member designated in advance by the chairperson. |
| (3) | The chairperson of the Board shall convene a meeting and preside over the meeting if deemed necessary or at the request of the Administrator of the Korea Forest Service or at least one-third of the incumbent members. |
| (4) | A majority of the Board members shall constitute a quorum, and any decision thereof shall require the concurring vote of a majority of those present. |
| (5) | In order to handle the administrative affairs of the Board, the Board shall have 1 secretary, and the secretary shall be appointed by the chairperson from among public officials belonging to the Korea Forest Service. |
| (6) | The Board may appoint expert members if necessary to investigate and research specialized matters related to the maintenance and enhancement of carbon sinks. |
| (7) | If the chairperson of the Board deems it necessary in relation to deliberation, he or she may request the head of the relevant administrative agency to submit necessary data, and may require interested persons or experts in related fields to attend to hear their opinions. |
| (8) | Matters necessary for the operation of the Board, other than those stipulated in paragraphs (1) through (7), shall be determined by the chairperson after resolution by the Board. |
| Article 8 (Recusal of Board Members) |
| (1) | If a Board member is involved in any of the following circumstances, making it difficult to expect from him or her a fair decision, the member may recuse himself or herself from the deliberation and resolution of the relevant agenda item: |
| 1. | If the Board member (including the corporation or organization to which the member belongs, hereinafter the same shall apply in this paragraph) or a person who has a familial relationship with the member as defined in Article 777 of the Civil Act has an interest in the relevant agenda item; |
| 2. | If a Board member provides advice, research, services, or appraisal on the relevant agenda. |
| (2) | The Administrator of the Korea Forest Service may dismiss a committee member or revoke his or her appointment, if the committee member falls under any of the following subparagraphs: |
| 1. | If the member becomes unable to perform his or her duties due to any mental or physical disorder; |
| 2. | If the member is deemed unfit as a member of the Board due to neglect of his or her duties, injury to dignity, or other reasons; |
| 3. | If the member fails to refrain from relevant deliberations or decisions even though he or she falls under any subparagraph of paragraph (1). |
| Article 9 (Carbon Sink Information and Statistics) |
| (1) | In Article 8 (1) 8 of the Act, "information and statistics specified by Presidential Decree with regard to carbon sinks" means the following matters: |
| 1. | Coefficient for calculating forest carbon sequestration; |
| 2. | Activity data for calculating forest carbon sequestration; |
| 3. | Forest carbon sequestration; |
| (2) | The scope and type of all temporal and spatial history information (hereinafter referred to as "history information") related to forest management activities under Article 8 (2) of the Act are as follows: <Added on Apr. 23, 2024> |
| 1. | Matters related to the current status of forests, such as the distribution of tree species and the composition of tree species, based on the investigation of areas subject to forest management activities; |
| 2. | Matters related to the results of forest management activities in digital form, measured using the Global Positioning System (GPS); |
| 3. | Any other matters that the Administrator of the Korea Forest Service deems necessary to collect, retain, manage, analyze, and share as history information to maintain and enhance the carbon sequestration function of forests. |
| Article 9-2 (Request for Submission of Data) |
| (1) | When the Administrator of the Korea Forest Service requests the heads of relevant central administrative agencies and heads of local governments to submit data pursuant to Article 8 (3) of the Act, he or she shall do so in a document stating the following matters: |
| 1. | Name and list of materials to be submitted; |
| 2. | Necessity of submitting data; |
| 3. | Deadline for submitting materials; |
| 4. | Other matters deemed necessary by the Administrator of the Korea Forest Service for requesting data submission. |
| (2) | When the heads of relevant central administrative agencies and the heads of local governments are requested to submit data pursuant to Article 8 (3) of the Act, they shall submit data through the carbon sink information system as provided in Article 8 (2) of the Act. |
[This Article Added on Apr. 23, 2024]
| Article 10 (Maintenance and Enhancement of Carbon Sinks in Protected Areas) |
| Article 11 (Survey on Utilization of Harvested Wood Products) |
| (1) | The items of the survey on the utilization of harvested wooden products pursuant to Article 13 (1) of the Act are as follows: |
| 1. | Domestic and international log supply and demand status; |
| 2. | Current status of use of harvested wood products by industry; |
| 3. | Current status of the manufacturing, processing, distribution and consumption of each type of harvested wood products; |
| (2) | The Administrator of the Korea Forest Service shall conduct an annual survey on the use of wood products pursuant to paragraph (1). |
| (3) | The Administrator of the Korea Forest Service may, if necessary for the survey on the utilization of wood products under paragraph (1), utilize data or information collected through the statistical survey and fact-finding survey on the sustainable use of wood pursuant to Article 8 of the Act on the Sustainable Use of Timbers. <Amended on Sep. 19, 2017> |
| Article 12 (Reporting of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Energy Consumptions) |
| (2) | The Administrator of the Korea Forest Service may request information on greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumptions submitted pursuant to paragraph (1) from the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs or the Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy, and the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs or the Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy who receives the request shall comply with the request, except in cases where there are justifiable reasons. <Amended on May 24, 2016> |
| Article 13 (Policies to Promote Utilization of Forest Biomass Energy) |
| (1) | Projects to be included in the policy measures for promoting the utilization of forest biomass energy pursuant to Article 15 (2) of the Act are as follows: |
| 1. | Projects for creating forests to supply forest biomass energy on land that is not designated as forest land; |
| 2. | Projects for expanding the resource utilization of forest by-products; |
| 3. | Projects for the development and dissemination of machinery and technology for the efficient collection and sorting of forest biomass energy resources; |
| 4. | Projects supporting the installation of facilities for the production of forest biomass energy; |
| 5. | Projects supporting the distribution of forest biomass energy; |
| 6. | Projects supporting research to expand the dissemination of forest biomass energy. |
| (3) | The Administrator of the Korea Forest Service and the heads of local governments shall post the results of monitoring conducted by the Korea Forestry Promotion Institute pursuant to paragraph (2) on the websites of the Korea Forest Service and the respective local governments annually. |
| Article 14 (Prevention of Deforestation and Forest Degradation) |
| (1) | Pursuant to Article 16 (1) of the Act, the Administrator of the Korea Forest Service shall establish and implement the following measures to prevent deforestation and forest degradation (hereinafter referred to as "prevention of deforestation, etc."): |
| 1. | Development measures for eco-friendly techniques for deforestation that can minimize greenhouse gas emissions resulting from deforestation; |
| 2. | Development measures for forest management techniques that can prevent the deterioration of carbon sequestration capacity due to forest degradation. |
| Article 15 (Types of Multiple Carbon Sinks) |
| (1) | The activities for multiple carbon sinks under Article 18 (1) of the Act are as follows: |
| 1. | Activities utilizing forest by-products generated from afforestation or similar activities conducted pursuant to Article 9 (1) of the Act for forest biomass energy; |
| 2. | Activities utilizing wood products produced from timber harvested through afforestation or similar activities conducted pursuant to Article 9 (1) of the Act. |
| (2) | The amount of greenhouse gas emission reduction resulting from multiple carbon sink activities shall be calculated by aggregating the reductions in greenhouse gas emissions achieved through the maintenance and enhancement activities of individual carbon sinks as stipulated in Article 18 (1) of the Act. |
| Article 16 (Standards for Social Contribution Forest Carbon Offsets) |
The term "relaxed standards prescribed by Presidential Decree" in Article 19 (1) 2 of the Act refers to the standards established in the Forest Carbon Offset Operation Standards (hereinafter referred to as "Operation Standards") pursuant to Article 27 of the Act, which are in accordance with the relaxed standards applicable to Clean Development Mechanism projects under Article 12 of the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. In this context, the degree of relaxation of the standards may vary depending on whether the forest carbon sequestration is intended for trading or for purposes other than trading.
| Article 17 (Revocation of Registration of Forest Carbon Offset Project) |
“Cases prescribed by Presidential Decree” in Article 19 (4) 3 of the Act means any of the following cases: | 1. | When it is deemed impossible to carry out the project according to the content of the project plan due to a natural disaster or other force majeure; |
| 2. | When it is deemed impossible to carry out the project as outlined in the business plan due to reasons such as business deterioration, illness, or immigration; |
| 3. | If the head of a local government, public institution, private organization, company, or citizen (hereinafter referred to as "the business entity") who has registered a forest carbon offset project in the forest carbon registry pursuant to Article 19 (3) of the Act requests revocation of the registration. |
| Article 18 (Designation of Verification Agencies) |
| (1) | Domestic and foreign third-party verification agencies pursuant to Article 20 (2) of the Act shall be designated by the head of the Forest Carbon Center provided in Article 23 of the Act (hereinafter referred to as "head of the Forest Carbon Center") from among the following organizations: <Amended on May 24, 2016; Dec. 29, 2017; Aug. 18, 2020> |
| 1. | Deleted; <Mar. 25, 2022> |
| (2) | The head of the Forest Carbon Center may revoke the designation of a verification institution designated under paragraph (1) if it is determined that the institution has performed the verification inadequately due to intentional misconduct or gross negligence. |
| (3) | If the head of the Forest Carbon Center designates or revokes the designation of a verification agency pursuant to paragraph (1) or (2), he or she shall notify the Minister of Environment and the relevant verification agency of the details, and post the details on the website of the Forest Carbon Center. <Amended on May 24, 2016; Dec. 29, 2017> |
| Article 19 (Validity Period of Forest Carbon Sequestration) |
| (1) | The validity period of forest carbon sequestration pursuant to Article 22 (1) of the Act shall be not more than 30 years. |
| (2) | Notwithstanding paragraph (1), if all of the following requirements are satisfied, the validity period may be extended up to two times, each for a duration of up to 20 years: |
| 1. | The validity period shall be set at 20 years or less; |
| 2. | The forest carbon offset project is ongoing or the carbon sequestration function resulting from the project is being maintained. |
| (3) | The head of a local government or a business entity who wishes to extend the validity period pursuant to paragraph (2) shall apply to the head of the Forest Carbon Center as prescribed by Ministerial Decree of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. <Amended on Sep. 19, 2017> |
| Article 20 Deleted. <Sep. 19, 2017> |
| Article 21 (Establishment and Operation of Forest Carbon Registry) |
| (1) | The types of maintenance and promotion activities for carbon sinks and the information and statistics on forest carbon sequestration included in the forest carbon registry pursuant to Article 24 (1) of the Act are as follows: |
| 1. | Information and statistics on carbon sinks under each subparagraph of Article 8 (1) of the Act; |
| 2. | Information and statistics on forest carbon offset projects under Article 19 of the Act; |
| 3. | Information and statistics on monitoring and verification of forest carbon sequestration pursuant to Article 20 of the Act; |
| 4. | Information and statistics on certification of forest carbon sequestration pursuant to Article 21 of the Act; |
| 5. | Information and statistics on the validity period and the allowable number of its renewal for forest carbon sequestration pursuant to Article 22 of the Act; |
| 6. | Other maintenance and promotion activities for carbon sink and the information and statistics on forest carbon sequestration recognized as necessary and publicly notified by the Administrator of the Korea Forest Service. |
| (2) | The Administrator of the Korea Forest Service shall establish and operate the forestry carbon registry pursuant to paragraph (1) electronically, and if necessary for the stable and independent establishment and operation of the forest carbon registry, may utilize the registration systems of third-party domestic or international institutions. |
| (3) | Except as otherwise provided for in paragraphs (1) and (2), the Administrator of the Korea Forest Service shall determine and publicly notify details necessary for the establishment and operation of the forest carbon registry, such as security policies required for the establishment of the forest carbon registry and procedures for modifying information registered in the forest carbon registry. |
| Article 22 (Trading of Forest Carbon Sequestration) |
| (1) | The term "offsetting and trading of greenhouse gas reduction targets prescribed by Presidential Decree" in Article 25 (1) 1 of the Act refers to the use or trading of forest carbon sequestration amounts by the heads of local governments or business entities which are certified pursuant to Article 21 (1) of the Act for the following purposes: <Amended on Mar. 25, 2022> |
| (2) | "Participating in projects specified by Presidential Decree to reduce greenhouse gases and save energy" in Article 25 (1) 2 of the Act refers to the use or transaction of forest carbon sequestration amounts certified under Article 21 (1) of the Act by the head of a local government or a business entity, as the performance results of participation in the following projects: |
| 1. | Projects such as new afforestation under Article 9 of the Act; |
| 2. | Projects to maintain and promote carbon sinks in the protected area pursuant to Article 10 of the Act; |
| 3. | Projects to promote forest biomass energy utilization pursuant to Article 15 of the Act; |
| 4. | Projects to prevent deforestation, etc. pursuant to Article 16 of the Act; |
| 5. | Projects to maintain and promote multiple carbon sinks pursuant to Article 18 of the Act; |
| 6. | Other projects determined and publicly notified by the Administrator of the Korea Forest Service. |
| (4) | A person who wishes to trade forest carbon sequestration amount pursuant to Article 25 (3) of the Act shall submit a written application for the registration of a trading account to the head of the Forest Carbon Center as prescribed by Ministerial Decree of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, and pay the registration fee within the range of 0.5% of the average transaction price per ton of carbon dioxide equivalent as determined and publicly notified by the Administrator of the Korea Forest Service. <Amended on Sep. 19, 2017> |
| (5) | Notwithstanding paragraphs (3) and (4), in the case of forest carbon offsets with reduction performance (credits) pursuant to Article 25 (1) 1 of the Act, approval for external projects and certification of greenhouse gas reductions shall be obtained in accordance with the Framework Act on Carbon Neutrality and Green Growth for Coping with Climate Crisis and the Act on the Allocation and Trading of Greenhouse Gas Emission Permits, and other methods and procedures for trading shall be as prescribed in the Act on the Allocation and Trading of Greenhouse Gas Emission Permits. <Amended on Mar. 25, 2022> |
| Article 23 (Development and Public Announcement of Carbon Sink Indices) |
| (1) | When establishing the carbon sink indices pursuant to Article 26 (1) of the Act, the following matters shall be considered: |
| 1. | Additional and substantial greenhouse gas reduction performances resulting from forest carbon offset project; |
| 2. | Social, economic, and environmental impacts resulting from the forest carbon offset project; |
| 3. | Other internationally recognized standards for measuring the indices of carbon sink maintenance and enhancement. |
| (2) | The measurement of the carbon sink indices pursuant to Article 26 (1) of the Act shall be conducted separately by local governments, public institutions, and the private sector. |
| (3) | The Administrator of the Korea Forest Service who publicly announces the measurements of the carbon sink indices pursuant to Article 26 (1) of the Act shall do so by posting them on the website of the Korea Forest Service. In this case, the relevant local government, public institutions, and the private sector shall be notified of the public announcement. |
| Article 24 (Operating Standards) |
"Matters prescribed by Presidential Decree" in Article 27 (2) 7 of the Act means matters pertaining to the standards for social contribution-type forest carbon offset pursuant to Article 16.
| Article 25 (Measurement, Reporting and Verification of Forest Carbon Sequestration) |
The Administrator of the Korea Forest Service shall finalize the forest carbon sequestration measured, reported, and verified pursuant to Article 28 (2) of the Act after deliberation by the Committee and submit it to the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs by June 20 of each year. <Amended on Sep. 19, 2017>
| Article 26 (Standards for Designation of Specialized Schools for Carbon Sink) |
| (1) | It shall have carbon sink education and research facilities and equipment determined and publicly notified by the Administrator of the Korea Forest Service; <Amended on Apr. 23, 2024> |
| 1. | It shall have carbon sink education and research facilities and equipment determined and publicly notified by the administrator of the Korea Forest Service; |
| 2. | It shall have employed at least 4 professors, associate professors, or assistant professors under Article 14 (2) of the Higher Education Act who majored in the fields of forestry and climate, including the fields specified in each subparagraph of Article 28 (1); |
| 3. | It shall open and operate the courses related to the maintenance and enhancement of carbon sinks, as determined and publicly notified by the Minister of the Korea Forest Service. |
| (2) | "High schools or technical high schools that meet the standards prescribed by Presidential Decree" in Article 30 (1) 2 of the Act means a high school or higher technical school that satisfies all of the following standards: <Amended on Apr. 23, 2024> |
| 1. | It shall secure education facilities and practice equipment related to carbon sink, determined and publicly notified by the Administrator of the Korea Forest Service; |
| 3. | It shall open and operate the courses related to the maintenance and enhancement of carbon sinks, as determined and publicly notified by the Minister of the Korea Forest Service. |
| Article 27 (Procedures for Designation of Specialized Carbon Sink Schools) |
| (1) | A person who wishes to be designated as a school specialized in carbon sinks pursuant to Article 30 (1) of the Act shall attach the following documents to a written application and submit it to the Administrator of the Korea Forest Service: |
| 1. | Documents proving that the designation standards under Article 26 have been met; |
| 2. | Operation plans for schools specialized in carbon sinks. |
| (2) | If the applicant under paragraph (1) is a corporation, the Administrator of the Korea Forest Service shall confirm the corporation registration information certificate through administrative data matching pursuant to Article 36 (1) of the Electronic Government Act. |
| (3) | When the Administrator of the Korea Forest Service designates a school specialized in carbon sinks or cancels the designation thereof pursuant to Article 3 (1) or (3) of the Act, he or she shall publicly notify the fact in the official gazette and post it on the website of the Korea Forest Service. |
| (4) | Pursuant to Article 30 (2) of the Act, the Administrator of the Korea Forest Service may provide the following support necessary for the operation of schools specialized in carbon sinks: |
| 1. | Subsidy for operating costs; |
| 2. | Provision of technology and information; |
| 3. | Provision of educational equipment and materials. |
| (5) | Except as otherwise provided for in paragraphs (1) through (4), detailed matters concerning the designation, support, etc. of schools specializing in carbon sinks shall be determined and publicly notified by the Minister of the Korea Forest Service. <Added on Sep. 19, 2017> |
| Article 28 (Education and Training) |
| (1) | The content of education and training pursuant to Article 31 (1) of the Act are as follows: |
| 1. | Matters pertaining to the operation of the forest carbon offset system; |
| 2. | Matters pertaining to measurement, reporting and verification methods of forest carbon sequestration; |
| 3. | Matters pertaining to technology for maintaining and enhancing forest carbon sequestration; |
| 4. | Matters related to climate change negotiations; |
| 5. | Matters related to the promotion of overseas forest carbon sequestration projects; |
| 6. | Matters pertaining to the application of the operating standards. |
| (2) | In principle, education and training under paragraph (1) shall be conducted at the Forest Education Center for those related to forest carbon sequestration at home and abroad, but if necessary to provide balanced and professional educational opportunities, the education and training may be conducted in cooperation with educational institutions related to forest carbon sequestration at home and abroad. |
| Article 29 (Fostering of Forest Carbon Sequestration Market and Related Industries) |
| (1) | "Matters prescribed by Presidential Decree" in Article 33 (1) 7 of the Act means the following matters: |
| 1. | Matters related to linkage with overseas voluntary forest carbon sequestration market; |
| 2. | Matters related to the development of new forest carbon sequestration enhancement technology. |
| (2) | In order to revitalize the forest carbon sequestration market and foster related industries, the Administrator of the Korea Forest Service may select feasible forest carbon-related technologies that do not overlap with existing technologies as technologies to be fostered and provide necessary support within the scope of the budget. |
| (3) | Any person who wishes his or her technology to be selected as technology to be fostered under paragraph (2) shall apply to the Administrator of the Korea Forest Service as prescribed by Ministerial Decree of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. <Amended on Sep. 19, 2017> |
| Article 30 (Promotion of International Cooperation and Assistance) |
In Article 34 (2) of the Act, "carbon-related international organizations and related organizations prescribed by Presidential Decree" means the following organizations: | 1. | Carbon-related international consultative organizations: United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF), Asia Forest Partnership (AFP), Green Climate Green Climate Fund (GCF), United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF); |
| 2. | Carbon-related research and development organizations: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) ), Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES), International Union of Forest Research Organization (IUFRO); |
| 3. | Carbon offset-related organizations: International Emissions Trading Association (IETA), Verified Carbon Standard Association (VCSA), Climate, Community and Biodiversity Alliance (CCBA), Climate Action Reserve (CAR). |
| Article 31 (Delegation of Authority) |
| (1) | Pursuant to Article 37 (1) of the Act, the Administrator of the Korea Forest Service shall grant the following authority to the Special Metropolitan City Mayor, Metropolitan Mayor, Special Self-Governing City Mayor, Do Governor, or Special Self-Governing Province Governor in the case of mountainous areas of national forests, public forests, or private forests that are not under the jurisdiction of the Administrator of the Korea Forest Service; and to the head of the Regional Forest Service, in the case of mountainous areas of national forests under the jurisdiction of the Administrator of the Korea Forest Service: <Amended on Sep. 19, 2017> |
| 1. | Technical support necessary for new afforestation, etc. pursuant to Article 9 (1) of the Act; |
| 2. | Technical support necessary for maintaining and enhancing carbon sinks in protected areas pursuant to Article 10 (1) of the Act. |
| (2) | Pursuant to Article 37 (1) of the Act, the Administrator of the Korea Forest Service shall delegate the authority to prepare carbon sink information and statistics pursuant to Article 8 (1) 8 of the Act to the President of the National Institute of Forest Science. <Amended on Sep. 19, 2017> |
| Article 31-2 Deleted. <Dec. 24, 2018> |
| Article 32 (Standards for Imposition of Administrative Fines) |
The standards for imposing administrative fines under Article 38 (1) of the Act are as shown in the Appendix. <Amended on Sep. 19, 2017>
ADDENDUM <Presidential Decree No. 24394, Feb. 22, 2013>
This Decree shall enter in force on February 23, 2013.
ADDENDUM <Presidential Decree No. 26629, Nov. 11, 2015>
This Decree shall enter into force on the date of its promulgation.
ADDENDA <Presidential Decree No. 27181, May 24, 2016>
Article 1 (Enforcement Date)
This Decree shall enter into force on June 1, 2016.
ADDENDA <Presidential Decree No. 28314, Sep. 19, 2017>
Article 1 (Enforcement Date)
This Decree shall enter into force on the date of its promulgation: provided, the amended provisions of Articles 2, 11, 20, 31, 31-2, 32, the Appendix and the Appendix 1 shall enter into force on September 22, 2017. Article 2 (Transitional Measures concerning Re-appointment of Board Members)
When applying the amended provisions of Article 6 (4) to the members of the Board at the time of enforcement of this Decree, the term of office as at the time of enforcement of this Decree shall be regarded as the first term of office.
ADDENDA <Presidential Decree No. 28562, Dec. 29, 2017>
Article 1 (Enforcement Date)
This Decree shall enter into force on the date of its promulgation.
ADDENDUM <Presidential Decree No. 29421, Dec. 24, 2018>
This Decree shall enter into force on January 1, 2019.
ADDENDA <Presidential Decree No. 30944, Aug. 18, 2020>
Article 1 (Enforcement Date)
This Decree shall enter into force on the date of its promulgation.
ADDENDA <Presidential Decree No. 32557, Mar. 25, 2022>
Article 1 (Enforcement Date)
This Decree shall enter into force on March 25, 2022. (Proviso Omitted.)
ADDENDA <Presidential Decree No. 34438, Apr. 23, 2024>
Article 1 (Enforcement Date)
This Decree shall enter into force on May 1, 2024.
Article 2 (Applicability to Designation Standards for Schools Specialized in Carbon Sinks)
The amended provisions of Article 26 (1) 3 and paragraph (2) 3 of that Article shall begin to apply to the designation of schools specialized in carbon sinks after this Decree enters into force.