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A Comparative Legal Study on the Structure and Improvement of Domestic Legislation for Implementing Environmental Impact Assessments under the BBNJ Agreement in South Korea

BBNJ 협정상 환경영향평가의 국내이행법제 구성 및 개선을 위한 비교법적 고찰

Jae-Hoon Lee1
,
Jong-Joon Park2*
이 재훈1
,
박 종준2*
1Law School, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Seoul 02450, Korea
2Law School, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Korea
1한국외국어대학교 법학전문대학원 (02450) 서울특별시 동대문구 이문로 107
2강원대학교 법학전문대학원 (24341) 강원특별자치도 춘천시 강원대학길 1
*Corresponding Author
26 October 2026. pp. 1-16
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Abstract

From an international perspective, the enactment of domestic legislation implementing the EIA for activities in ABNJ serves to establish a domestic legal basis for faithfully fulfilling the obligations as a Party to the BBNJ Agreement. Furthermore, the administrative enforcement mechanisms established under this legislative framework are poised to play a pivotal role in the international community's concerted endeavours to safeguard biodiversity and ensure sustainability in ABNJ. In this regard, the enactment and implementation of domestic legislation on EIA for activities in ABNJ is of significant importance. The purpose of this paper is twofold: firstly, to review the High Seas Biodiversity Act 2026 of Australia, the Hochseeschutzgesetz of Germany, and the relevant Bill of South Korea; secondly, to conduct a comparative analysis of them and identify legal and policy considerations that should be given weight when enacting the Bill of South Korea for the EIA under the BBNJ Agreement.

Keywords
BBNJ
implementation of the BBNJ Agreement
environmental impact assessment
High Seas Biodiversity Act 2026
Hochseeschutzgesetz
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Information
  • Publisher :Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology
  • Publisher(Ko) :한국해양과학기술원
  • Journal Title :Ocean and Polar Research
  • Journal Title(Ko) :Ocean and Polar Research
  • Volume : 48
  • Pages :1-16
  • Received Date : 2024-08-20
  • Revised Date : 2025-09-10
  • Accepted Date : 2026-09-21
  • Published Date : 2026-10-26
  • DOI :https://doi.org/10.4217/OPR.2026025
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