Korea’s domestic emissions trading scheme commenced in January 2015 targeting mainly the industry and power sectors and compelled companies to transform their energy efficiency and greenhouse gases mitigation management. This study aims at exploring the means by which Korean companies evaluate their allocation position and engage in emissions trading in the first compliance period as well as identifying their standpoint on trading barriers and policy expectations in view of emissions trading inauguration. Questionnaire surveys and on-site hearings targeting Korean companies under the Korean emission trading scheme were conducted at the start of operations (February to March, 2015) and after the compliance year (May in 2016), respectively. The actual operation results are observed and compared with the survey study findings. This study set out to identify the perspective of Korean companies on emission market participating and extrapolate pointers for policy implication as well suggestions for the government and the subject companies in terms of ways to improve the current emission trading scheme in order to stimulate emission trading under the scheme.