This June, Nuriho 3rd Launch and Establishing Grounds for Unmanned Delivery Approval Within the Year

New Growth 4.0 Strategy '2023 Implementation Plan and Annual Roadmap'

[Asia Economy Sejong=Joo Sang-don, Song Seung-seop reporters] The government plans to proceed with the third launch of Nuriho in June this year in collaboration with private companies and to open the Space Aviation Agency by the end of this year. It will also establish the basic plan for the K-Bio Lab Hub construction project next month, aiming for completion in 2025. Additionally, in April, it will commence development of next-generation nuclear power technologies such as Small Modular Reactors (SMR) and Molten Salt Reactors (MSR), and within this year, it will create the legal basis for unmanned delivery using robots and drones through amendments to the Living Logistics Act.

On the 20th, the government held an emergency economic ministers' meeting at the Sejong Government Complex, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Choo Kyung-ho, and announced the 'New Growth 4.0 Strategy 2023 Implementation Plan and Yearly Roadmap.'

In December last year, the government announced the New Growth 4.0 Strategy to secure growth engines centered on future industries. This implementation strategy specifies project goals and promotion methods to start producing visible results this year. The government plans to announce more than 30+α major measures within the year (over 20 in the first half) and prepare separate implementation plans for detailed tasks to continuously supplement and specify them.

First, to maintain momentum in space exploration, the government will proceed with the third launch of Nuriho by June with private company participation. The fourth launch is planned for 2025, the fifth for 2026, and the sixth for 2027. The government will transfer Nuriho technology to the private company Hanwha Aerospace, which will be responsible for overseeing Nuriho production, manufacturing components, and managing participating companies, thereby supporting its growth into a private space company through participation in launches 3 to 6.

For Urban Air Mobility (UAM) commercialization starting in 2025 and full-scale operation by 2030, demonstration projects will be conducted in open areas (Gohung, Jeollanam-do) in August this year and in urban areas next year. In the first phase, open-area demonstrations involving private companies (six consortia applied) will be conducted from August this year to December next year in Gohung, Jeollanam-do, to verify aircraft and integrated operation performance and measure noise. In the second phase, urban area demonstrations (July 2024 to June 2025) will be conducted targeting consortia that pass the first phase to verify safety in urban environments and near airports. The government will also promote the enactment of the UAM Act, including regulatory exemptions, in the second half of this year.

Within this year, the government will also establish the legal basis for unmanned delivery using robots and drones through amendments to the Living Logistics Act. For robot delivery, legal amendments for video recording during operation will be pursued within the year, with plans to commercialize after demonstrations in apartment complexes in 2024 and on sidewalks and roads in 2025. For drone delivery, the government will support demonstrations through the expansion of special free zones and prepare commercialization foundations such as reforming drone insurance systems and establishing safety certification systems.

In April, the government will start developing next-generation nuclear power technologies SMR and MSR. After announcing and selecting innovative SMR and MSR R&D projects next month, R&D will commence. The goal is to obtain SMR standard design approval by 2028.

Aiming for the completion of the K-Bio Lab Hub in 2025, the government will establish the basic plan for the construction project in March this year. A project team will be formed within the first half of this year, with plans to complete construction by 2025 and discover and nurture 120 new drug development startups from 2026 to 2031.

To develop innovative services like ChatGPT, the government will lay the institutional foundation. Starting in April, a data center utilizing domestically produced AI semiconductors will be built, and in June, a nationwide 'AI Everyday Life Project' will be announced to address AI-related public issues. The government plans to amend relevant laws to allow the use of copyrighted works for data analysis in AI development. In the private sector, consortia centered on companies and hospitals will be formed to promote AI software development and adoption in the medical field. In telecommunications and networks, four additional 5G specialized network models will be discovered, and 6G infrastructure development will be accelerated.

In the semiconductor sector, a key domestic industry, the government will promote the construction of industrial complexes through large-scale domestic investment. The government supports fabless companies with expanded investment tax credits, permit timeout systems, 530 billion KRW in policy finance, and a 300 billion KRW semiconductor fund. As secondary battery companies are currently considering establishing domestic research facilities and production lines, the government will establish a battery academy and expand contract departments to support the supply of specialized personnel. The secondary battery innovation fund investing in materials, parts, and equipment companies will operate with a scale of 200 billion KRW.

To foster the bio industry, the government plans to establish a bio foundry by August through public-private cooperation and complete the national bio databank by May. R&D support will be increased to train physician-scientists, and medical science graduate schools will be expanded.

In energy policy, regulatory improvements and public interest have been emphasized. To expand distributed energy and build a stable power grid, the government will timely construct 'public Energy Storage Systems (ESS).' With a budget of 776.4 billion KRW, six substations including the Shin Namwon substation will be built by the end of this year. Additionally, the government will establish an 'Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI)' targeting about 5 million single-family homes and support AMI distribution to 660,000 apartment households. The expanded distribution of AMI will enable real-time power demand monitoring and efficient management.

In the cultural industry, the government set the goal of nurturing a 'Korean Disney.' First, it will design advanced content production infrastructure available for private use. An IP convergence cluster will be established in Goyang City, and a special video cluster in Daejeon City. Financial support will be provided through a 410 billion KRW content fund, with up to 50% matched by the private sector. R&D preliminary feasibility studies for next-generation content technologies such as 3D virtual humans and extended reality (XR) will also be promoted within this year.

To achieve rapid results, the government will announce follow-up measures for 15 major projects through the New Growth Strategy Task Force (TF) and monitor task implementation status. The 15 projects will be continuously supplemented and developed reflecting field demands collected through various channels, and new projects will be added upon private sector requests. Furthermore, when preparing the 2024 budget, the government will prioritize budget allocation related to New Growth 4.0 and promote branding as the current administration's 'representative growth policy' by producing and utilizing the New Growth 4.0 logo.