As spring unfolded in late April 2025, the coastal city of Busan, South Korea, welcomed a global gathering of ocean advocates, policymakers, scientists, and business leaders for the 10th Our Ocean Conference (OOC). From April 28 to 30 the Busan Exhibition and Convention Center (BEXCO) became the hub for participants from more than 100 countries, all united under the theme “Our Ocean, Our Action” to address pressing marine issues and commit to tangible solutions.

What is the Our Ocean Conference?

The idea for the Our Ocean Conference (OOC) was first envisioned by John Kerry, then U.S. Secretary of State and a lifelong ocean advocate. After witnessing firsthand the degradation of coral reefs and the growing threats to marine ecosystems, Kerry envisioned a new kind of forum—not just for talking about the ocean, but for taking real action to protect it.

Launched in 2014 in Washington, D.C., the inaugural conference set the tone for what OOC would become: a high-level global gathering of governments, businesses, NGOs, and scientists committed to ocean protection. Since then, the conference has evolved into a major annual event that rallies the international community around a shared question: What are we actually going to do to protect the ocean?

What makes OOC stand out is its emphasis on action. Every year, participants announce concrete pledges and commit to measurable steps across six key areas— marine protected areas, sustainable fisheries, marine pollution, climate change, sustainable blue economies, and maritime security.

This year’s conference celebrated its 10th anniversary under the theme “Our Ocean, Our Action.” For the first time, it was hosted in South Korea—a country whose identity, economy, and future are closely bound to the ocean. Hosting in Busan, one of the world’s busiest port cities, symbolized Korea’s growing leadership in the global push for maritime sustainability. With marine digitalization highlighted as a special agenda item, this year’s OOC emphasized how data, technology, and innovation can become game-changers for ocean protection.

From Busan to Nice: A Call for a Fossil-Free Ocean

by Seokhwan Jeong, SFOC Gas Team

On the first day of the Our Ocean Conference, April 28th, SFOC Gas team hosted a side event titled “From Busan to Nice, a call to action for a Fossil-Free Ocean”, in collaboration with the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and the Center for Energy, Ecology, and Development (CEED). It’s not often that government officials from Fiji, a representative of Colombian fisherfolk, and environmental leaders from Southeast Asia gather in the same space, so I felt a great sense of responsibility to join them as a panelist. Especially since there is growing international concern over South Korea’s deep-sea gas development in the East Sea—and because that concern is rapidly becoming a reality—I did my best to provide accurate and well-grounded information.

When the audience heard the prospective gas exploration zone drilled at the end of last year was called the "Blue Whale", they responded with incredulous laughter. It’s a pretty ironic choice to name a gas field after the blue whale, a species designated as a marine protected animal. After the session, I had the chance to speak with various international organizations, and I was struck by just how many people are deeply worried about the expansion of gas fields and are seriously thinking about how to stop this trend. Another key takeaway was the need for those who share these concerns to unite and raise a collective voice. This is especially important because the harm caused by Korea’s gas field development does not stay within Korean-waters—it affects other climate-vulnerable countries as well.

Sivendra Michael, Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change of Fiji, emphasized this point, saying:

“In Fiji, we live in this climate crisis every single day. We are facing rising seas, cyclones, coral bleaching, threatening livelihoods and marine security. This is not just about climate, but human rights. Every day, the fossil fuel industry expansion erodes our rights, including our right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment. Hosts of conferences must lead by example. Leadership is not just about speeches, but action.”

Shipping Side Event - Electrified Vessels Bridging Shipping Decarbonization, Marine Biodiversity, and Coastal Sustainability

by Jueun Han, SFOC Shipping Team

On April 29, SFOC shipping Team and the Korea Research Institute of Ships and Ocean Engineering (KRISO) co-hosted a session under the theme of climate change titled ‘Electrified Vessels Bridging Shipping Decarbonization, Marine Biodiversity, and Coastal Sustainability.” The session explored how electrified vessels could become a catalyst for not only decarbonizing short-sea routes but also achieving multidimensional goals including— protecting marine ecosystems, supporting local economies, and promoting regional cooperation.

The event brought together a diverse panel of voices, including policymakers, civil society leaders, and industry experts from Korea, Norway, the Philippines, and the UK. KRISO presented Korea’s cutting-edge innovation in mobile battery-powered vessels, while Norwegian representatives highlighted their global leadership—demonstrated by operating the world’s first fully electric ferry (MF Ampere) and aiming to halve emissions from shipping and fisheries by 2030. The event also featured insights from civil society leaders and organizations like Equal Routes, Center for Energy, Ecology, and Development (CEED), and the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), who spoke to the social equity dimensions of maritime electrification—from Indigenous rights protection to economic revitalization in underserved coastal regions. Panelists emphasized the need for integrated governance, long-term investment planning, and regional collaboration to ensure that green shipping corridors become not just promises, but pathways to real, lasting change.

Solidarity Beyond Borders: United Against Offshore Oil and Gas Drilling

by Seokhwan Jeong, SFOC Gas Team

On April 29 afternoon, we held a press conference outside the venue with CIEL, CEED, the representative of Colombian fishers, and the President of the Guryongpo Coastal Red Crab Vessel Owners’ Association from South Korea. Listening to the two voices—one from Korea and one from Colombia—who have both been affected by the climate crisis and gas development, I felt even more strongly that countries must push harder for a truly Fossil-Free Ocean.

As we chanted together:
 “What do we want?” “Fossil-Free Ocean!”
 “When do we want it?” “Now!”
 —we stood united.

Indeed, we must take action now to transition away from fossil fuels, including offshore gas development.

Looking Ahead

SFOC attended the 2025 Our Ocean Conference to amplify frontline voices and champion a fossil-free ocean. The 10th OOC closed with 277 commitments from 60 countries and organizations, worth US $9.1 billion, pushing total OOC pledges past US $160 billion since 2014. These pledges span six action areas, spotlight “digital oceans,” inject US $4.5 billion into the sustainable blue economy, and accelerate R&D, green shipping, nature-based climate solutions, and plastic-pollution control; more than 45 advance marine-protected-area targets and BBNJ ratification, while new capacity-building initiatives strengthen maritime security, waste management, and coastal resilience. SFOC will continue to commit to accelerating the global shift away from fossil fuels to a just, tech-enabled, and biodiversity-rich ocean future - We hope these pledges are more than words.

Seokhwan Jeong & Jueun Han