[Yongsan Report] "Hard to Select Future and Strategic Technology Secretary at Office of Science and Technology Chief"

Difficulty in Recruiting Experts in Quantum Computing Field
Presidential Office "Doing Our Best to Find Experts"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The position of Secretary for Future and Strategic Technologies, a key role responsible for research in national strategic technology fields within the inaugural Science and Technology Secretariat of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, has remained vacant for six months. Among the four secretaries overseeing R&D innovation, advanced bio, artificial intelligence (AI) & digital, and future & strategic technologies, three have been appointed, but the final secretary position has been empty for several months.

Earlier this year, following the appointment of Science and Technology Chief Park Sang-wook, Choi Won-ho, who was the Science and Technology Secretary before the organizational restructuring, moved from the Office of the Chief of Economic Staff to become the R&D Innovation Secretary. In February, Lee Kyung-woo, a professor in the Department of Computer Science at Yonsei University, and Choi Sun, a professor in the Department of Pharmacy at Ewha Womans University, were appointed as the newly established AI & Digital Secretary and Advanced Bio Secretary, respectively. The large-scale appointment of private sector experts to these newly created secretary positions was intended to soothe the scientific community’s discontent following the drastic cuts to the government’s R&D budget triggered by the National Fiscal Strategy Meeting in June last year, and to accelerate innovation through active communication with the science and technology sector.

The 'final piece of the puzzle,' the Secretary for Future and Strategic Technologies, was also planned to be filled by a qualified private sector expert. However, it is known that difficulties have been encountered in the selection process. The Future and Strategic Technologies Secretary is a position that President Yoon Suk-yeol personally named and takes great interest in. This role is responsible for research and development, technology security, prevention of technology leakage, and international scientific cooperation in twelve national strategic technology fields centered on quantum science. In particular, the presidential office is prioritizing the search for an expert in quantum computing, which uses quantum mechanics to solve complex problems faster than conventional computers, as the top priority for the Future and Strategic Technologies Secretary. Quantum computing technology also has significant military applications and is considered a key area in the US-China hegemony competition, with leading research institutes and global companies in advanced countries dedicating efforts to this field.

A source from the science and technology sector said, "The domestic talent pool of quantum experts is small, and those in their 40s, who are the target for appointment, are at a stage where they focus on research and can command the highest value. While experience in the presidential office would be helpful, it requires sacrifice, and ultimately, from a researcher’s perspective, it is important to concentrate on their primary work, research, so it seems difficult to find a suitable candidate." A presidential office official stated, "We are continuously searching for the right candidate," adding, "We are doing our best to recruit an expert with the insight to lead and develop the country’s future growth engines."