Heads of Science and Technology Research Institutes Return 30% of Salary for 4 Months

▲Chairman Won Kwang-yeon.

[Asia Economy Reporter Junho Hwang] Won Kwang-yeon, Chairman of the National Science and Technology Research Council (NST), and 22 heads of government-funded research institutes under its jurisdiction will return 30% of their salaries for four months to overcome the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19).

On the 27th, NST announced that among the 25 affiliated institutions, the heads of institutions excluding those with vacant positions such as the Korea Institute of Science and Technology, the World Kimchi Research Institute, and the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials decided to do so.

NST explained that this decision was made to join the voluntary salary return relay of senior public officials and heads of public institutions and to share the pain caused by the national economic crisis within the science and technology community.

Won Kwang-yeon, Chairman of NST, said, "In the national emergency situation caused by COVID-19, we formed a consensus with the heads of affiliated research institutes to voluntarily return salaries in order to fulfill the social responsibilities of public institutions, and thus decided to participate."