Starting from January first of next year, dumping waste from land into the ocean will be completely banned.
 
The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries announced on Monday that violating the rule will result in a prison sentence of up to one year or a fine of up to ten million won.
 
The government has been banning the disposal of construction materials and animal waste in phases since 2006.
 
Under the London Protocol that went into effect in 2006, ocean dumping is prohibited internationally. However, South Korea has continued to dump waste in the ocean due to a lack of facilities to handle the materials.