South Korea will announce a new strategy in September to support research and development in advanced technologies, the science ministry said on August 14, 2025.

Science Minister Bae Kyung-hoon discussed improvements to the R&D ecosystem with researchers at Seoul National University ahead of the plan’s release.

The upcoming blueprint aims to help universities, state-funded research institutes, and businesses focus on core activities in science and technology.

Researchers at the meeting requested more predictable R&D policies, fewer administrative hurdles, and changes to how government-funded projects are evaluated.

They also encouraged the government to support efforts to commercialize research outcomes.

.source-ref{font-size:0.85em;color:#666;display:block;margin-top:1em;}a.ask-tia-citation-link:hover{color:#11628d !important;background:#e9f6f5 !important;border-color:#11628d !important;text-decoration:none !important;}@media only screen and (min-width:768px){a.ask-tia-citation-link{font-size:11px !important;}}

🔗 Source: Yonhap News Agency

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ South Korea’s R&D success stemmed from massive sustained investment and strategic partnerships

The government’s new researcher-friendly ecosystem plan continues a transformation that began six decades ago with extraordinary commitment to R&D growth.

In 1964, South Korea invested just $5 million in R&D with fewer than 5,000 scientists and engineers1. By 2005, this had grown to $26.3 billion—a 50-fold increase over 24 years with an average annual growth rate of nearly 20%1.

The government’s strategic support for chaebols (large conglomerates) proved crucial, as by 2005 the top 20 firms alone accounted for 57% of total industrial R&D investments1.

This sustained approach yielded dramatic results: patents granted by Korea’s Industrial Property Office jumped from 1,808 in 1981 to 73,512 in 2005, with Korean inventors’ share rising from 12.8% to 72.7% of total patents1.

Today South Korea maintains this intensity, spending approximately 4.96% of GDP on R&D, making it one of the world’s most R&D-intensive economies and ranking 5th globally in absolute spending at $132 billion2.

2️⃣ Administrative burden reduction addresses a persistent innovation bottleneck

The researchers’ call for reduced administrative burdens reflects a systemic challenge that continues to limit South Korea’s innovation potential despite massive R&D spending.

South Korea’s restrictive regulatory framework requires explicit permission for activities not explicitly permitted by law, creating uncertainty that stifles risk-taking and entrepreneurial innovation3.

This regulatory approach has already driven cryptocurrency enterprises to migrate to more favorable jurisdictions, despite South Korea being a significant consumer market3.

The demographic challenge intensifies this urgency. With the world’s lowest birth rate at 0.72 births per woman, projected declines in university enrollment threaten the future research workforce4.

Additionally, women represent only 18% of principal investigators on government-funded research projects, indicating that administrative and cultural barriers are preventing full utilization of available talent4.

The government’s September blueprint must address these structural issues to maintain South Korea’s position as a global innovation leader, particularly as private sector R&D—which contributes 79% of total spending—depends heavily on an efficient, predictable regulatory environment2.

……