[Report] Quantum Shakes Up the "Boring City"

??直? Korea Science and Technology Festival in Daejeon
Quantum Technology Takes Center Stage
Marathon-Finishing Robot and Wearable Robots Steal the Spotlight

"I explained quantum so much that I lost my voice, just to satisfy children's curiosity."

Hwang Inyong, Head of Public Relations at the Korea Standard Research Institute, is explaining quantum computers to children. Photo by Baek Jongmin, Tech Specialist

On April 20, at the experience hall of the "2025 Korea Science and Technology Festival" held at Expo Citizen Plaza in Daejeon, Hwang Inyong, Head of Public Relations at the Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science, appeared exhausted but was full of smiles thanks to his interactions with children.

Alongside artificial intelligence (AI), quantum technology is one of the most prominent scientific fields in 2025, and it was also at the center of attention at the science and technology festival. Many students and parents lined up to satisfy their curiosity about what quantum is.

The Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science, which is leading the national initiative to develop quantum computers, introduced a docent-style explanation program about quantum computers. During the five-day event, Hwang took the microphone and introduced cutting-edge future technologies in a way that young students could easily understand.

After listening to Hwang's explanations, students enjoyed taking pictures at the "Schr?dinger's Cat" exhibit right next to the booth. Rather than difficult quantum concepts, it was quantum experienced through hands-on activities.

A child is experiencing the 'Schr?dinger's Cat' exhibit to understand quantum superposition. Photo by Jangmin Baek, Tech Specialist

At this event, the institute also displayed a model of a 50-qubit superconducting quantum computer and a 20-qubit QPU. The QPU is an integrated unit that gathers qubits, which are the computational units of a quantum computer.

Model of a 50-qubit quantum computer by the Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science. Photo by Jongmin Baek, Tech Specialist

As the United Nations has designated 2025 as the "Year of Quantum," and with a series of recent achievements in the quantum field, interest in this area is rapidly increasing.

Among the research and development exhibits, robots were by far the most popular. KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology) showcased "Raibo2," a quadruped robot that completed a marathon for the first time, instead of the previously popular humanoid robot HUBO. Raibo2, carrying the KAIST mascot "Neopjugi" on its back, performed various movements and captured the attention of children.

Professor Kyungchul Kong of KAIST (right) personally unveiled the wearable robot 'WorkOnSuit F1' to the public. Photo by Jongmin Baek, Tech Specialist

The wearable robot "WalkOnSuit F1," which won the "Cybathlon 2024" competition for overcoming disabilities, was also on display. Professor Kyungchul Kong of KAIST, who developed this robot, said, "I am grateful for the tremendous interest from the audience," and pledged to continue working on developing even better robots.

The Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute promoted the export of research reactors to the United States. Photo by Baek Jongmin, Tech Specialist

The Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute promoted the advancement of Korean science and technology by showcasing its lunar exploration robot and announcing its achievement of exporting a research reactor to the United States on the opening day of the event.

This event marked the first time that the "Korea Science Festival," the "Korea Science and Technology Exhibition," and the "Daejeon Science Festival" were integrated and held together, making it the largest event of its kind to date. The city of Daejeon, once called a "boring city," was buzzing with excitement. Kim Dokyun, a researcher at the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, said, "I was surprised by the overwhelming number of visitors compared to previous years." According to the Korea Foundation for the Advancement of Science and Creativity, which organized the event, the number of participants reached approximately 558,000, an increase of 68,000 compared to last year.