In this study, a numerical simulation is performed to produce wave hindcasting data from 2007 to 2018 for the assessment of wave energy resources in the sea waters of Korea. The hindcasting data are obtained with a relatively fine spatial resolution of 1/20° covering 120–150 °E longitude and 22.4–47.6 °N latitude using the Simulating WAves Nearshore wave model (SWAN). Three different wind fields, those of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather (ECMWF), National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP), and Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), are used for the numerical wave simulation. It is observed that the wind field dataset of JMA exhibits the best agreement with available field observation data. For this reason, the wave energy resources are evaluated based on the data hindcasted using the JMA wind field. It is found that the overall magnitudes of wave energy are larger in winter than in summer. The wave energy in August, however, is comparable to the mean wave energy during winter because of the influence of frequent high wave events caused by typhoons. The highest monthly average wave power around Yellow Sea, South Sea, East Sea, and Jeju Island are 13.3, 18.2, 13.7, and 40 kW/m, respectively.

Ocean dumping of municipal sewage sludge (MSS) that was treated in wastewater treatment plants in the Republic of Korea (ROK) began in 1993 and has sharply increased thereafter; this deteriorated the benthic environment of the dumping sites, consequently necessitating relevant policies to be developed to reduce dumping. This review introduces the outcomes of policies used to phase out ocean dumping of MSS in ROK and provides a method for improving contaminated environments. We first review a previous report submitted under the London Protocol in 2016 and then provide additional data collected since then. In addition, we introduce a scientific research result that reduced the concentration of harmful substances in the dumping sites by capping the dumping area. ROK established policies to phase out the dumping in 2006, which had immediate impacts, with dumping of MSS terminated in 2012. These policies were then expanded to terminate dumping of all types of sewage sludge in 2016, due to the fast and strict application of actions based on intergovernmental cooperation and societal consensus. In addition, the capping method that covered the contaminated sediments with dredged materials was effective. The success of the evaluated policies and research could be effectively applied to areas with similar circumstances.

Although there have been a number of studies investigating fundamental characteristics of infragravity waves in coastal zones, a proper method of deciding period ranges that are associated with gravity or infragravity waves remains uncertain. In this study, we proposed an empirical method of separating spectral energies of gravity and infragravity waves by analyzing the wave observation data acquired off Gyeongpo beach on the Korean east coast. The fundamental principle of the suggested method is to represent the separation period discriminating gravity and infragravity waves as a function of the significant wave period, rather than a fixed value that was conventionally applied in previous studies. As a consequence of using the new method, the relationships between heights and periods of gravity and infragravity waves were more clearly identified.

Shoreline processes observed by a video monitoring system were investigated under different wave conditions. A 30 m-high tower equipped with video cameras was constructed in Hujeong Beach, South Korea, where coastal erosion was suspected to occur. Two-year shoreline data since December 2016 showed that beach area, Ab, has decreased, but periods of rapid increase in Ab were also observed. Shoreline change was closely related to the wave propagation directions and bottom topography. Ab increased when waves approached the shore obliquely, whereas it decreased when they approached in a normal direction. The shoreline became undulated when Ab increased, while it became flatter when Ab decreased. The undulation process was influenced by nearshore bedforms because the shoreline protruded in the lee area where underwater rocks or nearshore sandbars actively developed, with a sheltering effect on waves. Specifically, the locations of shoreline accretion corresponded to the locations where the sandbar horns (location where a crescentic sandbar protrudes toward the shore) developed, confirming the out-of-phase coupling between sandbars and shoreline. When waves with higher energy approached normal to the shore, the sheltering effect of sandbars and underwater rocks became weaker and offshore sediment transport occurred uniformly along the coast, resulting in flatter shorelines.

Coastal structures, such as revetments, are built to protect specific areas and facilities from the attack of extreme waves. However, unexpected environmental damage could be induced from these structures when inappropriately applied. Here, we present the results of measurements carried out using a video monitoring system, indicating the rapid collapse of a coastal revetment due to the attack of storm waves. The destruction occurred in sequence; that is, it was initiated by human activities, followed by a natural disaster. First, the beach in front of the revetment was eroded, even under moderate wave conditions, because sediments transported into this area were blocked by a rip-rap jetty. After the beach width was severely reduced due to the erosion, the revetment collapsed when storm waves attacked the area. The destruction seems accidental and inevitable because it was directly caused by the storm. However, it could have been avoided by predicting and preventing the erosion due to the jetty. This study provides insights into sequential processes that lead to the failure of coastal revetments, which could be applied for prevention of similar anthropogenic disasters.