Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries

What Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries does

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (해양수산부, MOF) is the central government ministry of the Republic of Korea responsible for maritime policy, fisheries management, shipping safety, port infrastructure, marine environmental protection, and international maritime cooperation. Headquartered in Busan (main building at 14 Jungang-daero 361-beon-gil, Dong-gu, postal code 48789) with an annex building at 360 Jungang-daero, MOF operates under Minister Hwang Jong-woo and Vice Minister Nam Jae-heon and oversees 14 affiliated public institutions, including the National Fisheries Products Quality Management Service, Korea Hydrographic Office, National Institute of Fisheries Science, Korea Maritime Safety Tribunal, Korea Marine Environment Management Corporation, Korea Maritime Transportation Safety Authority, Busan/Incheon/Ulsan Port Corporations, Korea Institute of Marine Science & Technology, Korea Marine Biodiversity Institute, Korea Fisheries Resources Agency, Korea Institute of Maritime and Fisheries Science and Technology, and the Maritime and Fisheries Human Resources Development Institute. The ministry also operates a portfolio of 13+ government information systems covering maritime safety (GICOMS), shipping and port logistics (PORT-MIS), marine environmental monitoring (MEIS), fisheries information (FIPS), distant-water industry (OFIS), marine biodiversity (MBRIS), fishery product traceability, national fish passage tracking, uninhabited island data, and marine/seafood radioactivity safety.

Name

Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries

Legal name

Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries

Website

https://mof.go.kr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries is South Korea's central government ministry managing maritime policy, fisheries resources, shipping safety, port infrastructure, and marine environmental protection, headquartered in Busan and overseeing 14 affiliated public institutions serving Korean and international maritime stakeholders.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Maritime and Fisheries Administration

NAICS

Administration of Air and Water Resource and Solid Waste Management Programs (92411), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (924), Support Activities for Water Transportation (4883), Port and Harbor Operations (488310)

SIC

Water Transportation (4400), International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro primary industry

Agriculture, Fisheries & Food Administration (BPAIAAAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Maritime & Port Authorities (Public Ports, Harbors, Ferries Terminals) (BPAIALAF), Oceans, Coastal & Marine Resource Management (BPADALAI), Environmental, Spill Prevention & Response Compliance (MARPOL, SOPEP/SMPEP, Waste) (TLAHANAI)

Keywords

• Maritime policy administration
• Fisheries resource management
• Port logistics regulation
• Maritime safety oversight
• Seafood safety certification

Headquarters

HQ city

Seongnam

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (해양수산부) is the central government ministry of the Republic of Korea responsible for national maritime policy, fisheries resource management, maritime transportation safety, port infrastructure, marine environmental protection, and seafood safety. It administers maritime regulations, manages fisheries licensing, coordinates international maritime cooperation, and operates a suite of government information systems covering ports, shipping, fisheries, biodiversity, and radioactivity monitoring for marine products.

Product overview

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries operates a suite of government information systems and online portals covering marine, fisheries, shipping, port logistics, maritime safety, and ocean environmental management. The portfolio includes the Statistics Portal for fisheries statistics, PORT-MIS for shipping and port logistics management, the Seafood Safety Information Service for product traceability and safety certification, the Maritime Safety Integrated Information System (GICOMS), the Marine Environmental Comprehensive Information System (MEIS), the Fisheries Information Portal (FIPS), the Distant-Water Industry Information System (OFIS), the Marine Biodiversity Resources Information System (MBRIS), the Fishery Product Traceability System, and the Marine/Seafood Radioactivity Safety Information platform. These systems serve government administration, industry compliance, and public information needs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• PORT-MIS (Port Management Information System) Shipping and port logistics information system managing vessel traffic, port operations, and cargo movement data across Korean ports.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Jeju Special Self-Governing ProvincecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-host of the 13th Jeju International Cruise Forum (July 23–25, 2026), bringing together officials from major Asian cruise lines including Royal Caribbean Cruises, MSC Cruises, and Star Dream Cruises to discuss cruise growth strategies and promote Korean ports under the theme 'Asia Cruise 4.0: As One Beyond Boundaries.'
• Royal Caribbean CruisesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor international cruise line participating in the 13th Jeju International Cruise Forum, discussing growth strategies and cooperation measures for the Asian cruise market.
• MSC CruisesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor international cruise line participating in the 13th Jeju International Cruise Forum to discuss Asian cruise market cooperation.
• Star Dream CruisesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAsian cruise operator participating in the 13th Jeju International Cruise Forum to discuss cruise industry cooperation and Korean port promotion.
• Hyundai Motor CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on the 'Forests Without Names' campaign to name sea forests worldwide. Hyundai and the ministry officially named the Korean sea forest 'Ullim.' The initiative includes seaweed forest restoration spanning approximately 3.96 km² in Ulsan, expected to offset 1,300 tons of CO₂ annually, and marine waste cleanup across 10 countries removing ~320 tons of debris since 2021.
• Korea Fisheries Resources Agency (FIRA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with Hyundai Motor and the ministry to officially name the Korean sea forest 'Ullim' under the 'Forests Without Names' campaign, supporting marine conservation and carbon offset initiatives.
• Korea Fisheries AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-hosted the K•FISH Cooking Show and Promotion Booth at the Hawaii Korean Festival (August 2, 2025), drawing approximately 45,000 visitors to promote Korea's government-certified seafood export brand, featuring seaweed, abalone, fish roe, and fish cake products.
• Hyundai Motor GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe ministry, Hyundai Motor Group, and Korea Polar Research Institute joined forces to expand eco-friendly power generation at Antarctic bases, announced June 2026.
• Korea Polar Research Institute (KOPRI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnering with the ministry and Hyundai Motor Group on eco-friendly power generation expansion at Antarctic bases, announced June 2026.
• Korea Power Exchange Mobility Service (KEPCO MCS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSigned an MOU for cooperation on marine waste management in island regions, announced as a photo news item in July 2026.
• Faroe Islands (Denmark) — Ministry of Health and EnergyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMinister Hwang Jong-woo met with the Faroe Islands Minister of Health and Energy Eyðis Hartmann Niclasen on June 11, 2026 in Busan — the first introductory gathering to open cooperation in marine and fisheries between Korea and the Faroe Islands, aimed at enhancing industrial competitiveness.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• International Maritime Organization (IMO): UN specialized agency setting international maritime safety, security, and environmental standards. MOF participates in IMO conventions as a member state; relevant as the international standards-setting counterpart to MOF's domestic maritime safety and MARPOL compliance roles.

Direct peers

• China Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA) Fisheries Bureau: Chinese fishery and aquaculture authority with parallel fisheries regulation, distant-water fishing fleet oversight, and aquaculture production policy. Comparable to MOF's National Institute of Fisheries Science and distant-water information system (OFIS).
• Japan Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT): Japan's central ministry responsible for maritime transport, port policy, and coastal infrastructure — the closest direct peer. MLIT competes with MOF in shipbuilding oversight, port capacity strategy, and Asian cruise/Arctic shipping influence, making it a high-comparability foreign ministry.
• Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry: Australian federal department covering fisheries policy, aquaculture, and maritime resource management. Comparable to MOF's fisheries regulation, K•FISH-style export brand certification, and seafood traceability functions.
• Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO): Canadian federal department managing fisheries, aquaculture, marine conservation, and offshore safety — a structurally comparable national ministry with similar fisheries-resource-management and maritime-safety mandate.
• Norwegian Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries: Norway's central ministry managing fisheries and marine industries, including aquaculture and seafood export strategy. A close functional peer given Norway's parallel role in seafood export branding and Arctic shipping.
• China Ministry of Transport (MOT) Maritime Bureau: China's central authority regulating maritime transport, ports, and shipping safety with comparable policy scope. MOT's maritime portfolio directly competes with MOF in container port rankings, Arctic route strategy, and Asian cruise market share.

Broad incumbents

• European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA): EU agency for maritime safety, shipping inspections, and vessel traffic monitoring. Comparable to MOF's maritime safety integrated information system (GICOMS) and oversight of Korea Maritime Transportation Safety Authority.
• UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA): UK agency overseeing maritime safety, seafarer welfare, and shipping standards. Operates with equivalent functions to MOF's Korea Maritime Safety Tribunal and Korea Maritime Transportation Safety Authority.
• U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA): U.S. federal agency overseeing ocean, fisheries, and marine weather policy with science and regulatory scope comparable to MOF's domestic mandate. NOAA's portfolio of fisheries management, ocean observation, and marine commerce regulation closely mirrors MOF's functional breadth.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mofkorea
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/koreamof
• Facebookfacebook.com/mofkor
• Instagraminstagram.com/korea_mof
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ministry-of-oceans-and-fisheries

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries