Science and Technology Policy for the 21

st
Century
(Republic of Korea)
By Ministry of Science and Technology, Republic of Korea


Korea's S&T policy is directed toward the continuous development of the nation,
concentrating more on meeting social needs, and pursuing harmonization of human
activities and nature. This is a drastic departure from the past policy which was geared
toward industrialization. Furthermore, as one of the responsible members of the
global community, Korea is ready to play an active role in the international efforts to
improve human welfare through the advancement of science and technology. To this
end, the ministry seeks to establish a more balanced innovation system that
encourages a cooperative and competitive tripartite partnership among industries,
academia, and public research organizations.

1) Five-year (1997-2002) Plan for S&T Innovation
The Five-year Plan for S&T Innovation was established in December of 1997.
The plan is designed to promote the national R&D capacity to the level of G-7
countries. It is hoped that this goal can be achieved by the early part of the 21st
century through innovation of strategic technologies and the promotion of S&T
activities. It is a nationwide plan with the ministries and related institutes.
Key Aspects of the Five-year Plan for S&T Innovation
- Public R&D Investment- to increase government expenditures on R&D to at
least 5% of the total government budget by the year 2002 (2001: 4.4%);
- Promotion of Basic Research- to increase its investment in basic research to
20% of total government R&D budget (2000: 16%);
- Manpower Development and Utilization in Science and Technology- to expand
R&D manpower to 192,000, or 40 researchers for every 10,000 population;
A flexible manpower system has been developed to narrow the gap between
demand and supply. To this end, local engineering colleges, research-oriented
graduate schools and institutes will be promoted.

2) The Long-term Vision for Science and Technology Development Toward
2025
The Korean government launched a long-term strategic initiative, the Long-term
Vision for Science and Technology Development toward 2025 (or Vision 2025), in
September 1999. Vision 2025, which guides the right directions to take, envisages an
advanced and prosperous economy through the development of science and
technology, by creating, utilizing, and disseminating knowledge; heightening
scientific literacy; and establishing a national management system through the
advancement of science and technology. The goals are grouped in three time frames
spanning a 25-year period. Each time frame is defined by a unifying theme that
characterizes the primary focus of activity for that period.
- First Step (by 2005): Place the Korean scientific and technological capabilities
at competitive levels with those of the world leading countries by mobilizing
resources, expanding infrastructure, and improving relevant laws and regulations.
- Second Step (by 2015): Stand out as a major R&D promoting country in the
Asia-Pacific region, actively engaging in scientific studies and creating a new
atmosphere conducive to the promotion of R&D.
- Third Step (by 2025): Secure a scientific and technological competitiveness in
selected areas comparable to those of G-7 countries.
The plan has several major features such as follows;
- Shifting innovation system from government-led to private sector-led ones;
- Improving the effectiveness of national R&D investment;
- Aligning R&D system from a domestic to a global network;
- Meeting the challenges of the information technology and biotechnology
revolution
To turn the vision into reality by the year of 2025, the Korean government
launched the 21st Century Frontier Science Program in 1999 and enacted the Science
and Technology Framework Law. Under the law, the first five-year Science and
Technology Principal Plan is being drawn up.

3) Establishing the First Five-year S&T Principal Plan
Under the S&T Framework Law, the Korean government is drawing up the first
Five-year S&T Plan to set the goals of national S&T development. The plan will
establish a framework for making management decisions by separating the plan into
several action programs such as the establishment of basic direction of S&T policy,
expansion of national S&T investment, implementation of various national R&D
projects, increase of public awareness on S&T, nurture creative S&T manpower,
technology transfer and commercialization, and globalization of S&T activities. The
plan to be finalized by 2001 will serve as an action plan for achieving the first stage of
"Vision 2025" and a supplementary plan of the Five-year Plan for S&T Innovation.

4) Regional Science and Technology Promotion
From the point of view that activities for the regional promotion of science and
technology are the driving force behind regional revitalization and to boost the quality
of life for regional residents, the promotion of regional science and technology is vital
to the success of the national economy. The Korean government has set up a five year
Comprehensive Regional Science and Technology Promotion Plan, which consists of
six programs as follows;
- To develop strategic technologies in local provinces creating a regional
technological innovation posts;
- To train S&T man-power
- To set up regional S&T information systems
- To expand S&T culture
- To increase the R&D budgets of local governments
The plan for 2001 focuses on cultivating key technologies for regional
industrialization and creating regional clusters of innovations.
Source: http://www.most.go.kr/
Access time: 01/2003