Policy Lecture at Korea Chamber of Commerce Jeju Forum
"Electric Energy, New Drugs, and Water Are Important for National Security"
Emphasizing SMR Development... "Ensures Safety and Flexibility"
On STEM Talent Shortage: "Data-Driven Management and Support"
Lee Jong-ho, Minister of Science and ICT, emphasized that in order for South Korea to secure a high position in the global artificial intelligence (AI) hegemony competition, it is essential to "establish sovereignty over electric energy."
Minister Lee Jong-ho of the Ministry of Science and ICT is giving a policy lecture at the 'KCCI Jeju Forum' held on the 19th. Photo by KCCI
At a policy lecture held on the 19th at the Shilla Hotel in Jeju during the 'KCCI Jeju Forum,' Minister Lee stated, "South Korea's AI Global Index currently ranks 6th overall, but the government has a bold goal to raise it to 3rd place. In this context, electricity, new drugs, and water have become very important for national security," adding, "We are operating policies aimed at reducing our overseas dependence on electric energy by moving away from power generation using liquefied natural gas (LNG) and coal, so that electric energy in our country can be managed without influence from other countries."
Minister Lee stressed that while carbon-free energy generation is important, special focus must be placed on the development of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs). SMRs refer to small reactors with a capacity of 300 MWe or less. Compared to large reactors, they have the advantage of minimizing factory construction time and costs. Our government is boosting expansion and dissemination efforts, including plans to build about one-fifth of the latest nuclear power plants as SMRs. Interest in SMRs has increased recently as Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) secured a contract to build two new nuclear power plants in the Czech Republic. The industry expects that leveraging the Czech contract will provide an opportunity for our SMR technology to enter the European market.
Minister Lee said, "SMRs possess stability and flexibility," and added, "Going forward, national security regarding SMRs must be strengthened, and unlike large nuclear power plants which were led by public enterprises, SMRs should be promoted by the private sector. We also need to prepare to provide accurate information to the public."
Regarding the severe talent shortage currently faced by the science and engineering fields, Minister Lee revealed, "We have formed a task force (TF) with the Ministry of Education to study and prepare ways to attract students' interest to the science and engineering sectors."
He explained, "I believe students should receive various benefits when entering science and engineering fields. We are also improving IT systems so that students can have hope that 'I can also earn a lot of money in the future.'"
He continued, "In cooperation with the Ministry of Employment and Labor, we are collecting data on which fields students enter the most, which companies they join, how many go abroad and how many return domestically, and which regions invest heavily, so that we can implement flexible policies with the Ministry of Education. Through this, we are moving toward a system that can respond timely, such as with a quota system."
Minister Lee also stated, "It is not necessarily bad for talents to go abroad. On the contrary, it is better when they return to the country," adding, "The government has significantly increased the research budget for young researchers this year and next year. We are making various efforts, such as increasing support for researchers who went abroad to return and establish their labs domestically." He also added, "Companies also need to make efforts to attract outstanding talents by offering substantial financial incentives."
Minister Lee expressed his view, saying, "Software such as AI algorithms ultimately requires hardware like semiconductors to be realized. The two are inseparable," and emphasized, "Even if hardware changes, we must nurture talents who excel in software."
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