"Urgent Need for Synthetic Biology Promotion Act"... Bio Expert Rep. Choi Sujin Proposes Legislation

Reintroduced Bill Supplementing One Rejected in the 21st National Assembly
"Need for Industry Promotion Bill Expected to Surpass Semiconductors"

President Yoon Suk-yeol has identified 'advanced bio' as one of the three major game-changing technologies, and a 'Synthetic Biology Promotion Act' aimed at fostering synthetic biology, the core of advanced bio, as a national innovation technology has been proposed by a lawmaker with a background in bio science. There is also growing demand for the passage of this bill to promote the bio industry.

Choi Su-jin, Member of the National Assembly

On the 10th, Representative Choi Su-jin (People Power Party) announced the proposal of the 'Synthetic Biology Promotion Act.' This bill aims to strengthen the competitiveness of Korea's bio industry by securing stable budgets and fostering specialized personnel.

Synthetic biology involves designing and reassembling the genes of cells and microorganisms using gene editing tools like genetic scissors, similar to assembling Lego blocks, to create new biological components not found in nature or to redesign existing biological systems. It is expected to grow even larger than the semiconductor industry in the future.

This bill includes provisions for establishing a biofoundry to provide focused support for synthetic biology technology, which is emerging as a game changer in the global bio market, securing stable budgets through a five-year basic plan, and measures for regulation and specialized workforce development.

The bill was also proposed in the 21st National Assembly but was discarded without proper review as the general election approached. While the previous bill was proposed by a non-expert lawmaker, this time it has been revived by Representative Choi Su-jin, who has a background as a scholar in the bio field. Representative Choi previously served as the head of the research institute at Daewoong Pharmaceutical.

Representative Choi explained, "We have revised a significant portion of the previously discarded bill to establish a foundation for fostering science and industry." This bill was not proposed at the request of the Ministry of Science and ICT but was prepared thoroughly by Representative Choi herself, who actively revised the wording through hands-on efforts.

An image depicting synthetic biology. Photo by DALE2

Representative Choi emphasized, "Although the ‘Biofoundry Infrastructure and Utilization Base Construction Project’ to support synthetic biology has passed the preliminary feasibility study, there is currently no legal basis for it," adding, "Regardless of party lines, the passage of this bill is urgent from a national interest perspective."

Major countries, including the United States and China, recognize the potential of synthetic biology and are accelerating research and development through large-scale investments. Our Ministry of Science and ICT plans to support 7.3 billion KRW this year and 22.8 billion KRW in 2025 for the new establishment of a biofoundry to secure synthetic biology core technologies. However, as a latecomer internationally, Korea faces difficulties in commercialization due to regulatory and legal shortcomings.

Professor Kim Sung-chan of KAIST explained, "The bio-advanced country, the United States, saw President Barack Obama in 2010 urge that America should lead the field of synthetic biology, and in 2020, President Joe Biden signed the National Bioeconomy Blueprint and Bio-Manufacturing Executive Order to take the lead in the market." China has also announced a 'Five-Year Bioeconomy Plan' to actively promote synthetic biology research and technology commercialization.

Representative Choi stressed, "Synthetic biology is an innovative technology that can solve globally important issues such as climate change response and food security. Korea must become a leader in this field through regulatory improvements and policy support aligned with global standards."