[Insight & Opinion] Professor Salaries Must Reflect the Evolving Value of Academic Disciplines

Lack of Consideration for Research Achievements in South Korea
Urgent Need to Reform the System for National Competitiveness

The salary system for university professors in South Korea is generally operated based on a uniform seniority-based pay scale. Regardless of major or department, and irrespective of individual research achievements or societal contributions, salaries are determined solely by years of service. While this system has been maintained under the pretext of fairness and stability, there is growing doubt as to whether it is appropriate in the context of a rapidly changing global competitive landscape and academic environment. The stability of the past is increasingly becoming a source of insecurity for the future.

The fundamental principle of economics is differentiated compensation according to productivity and contribution. If research in a particular field generates greater social impact and is directly linked to national economic growth, allocating more rewards to scholars in that field is an efficient distribution of resources. In the United States, the United Kingdom, and major European countries, this principle has long been reflected in their systems.

In the United States, for example, the average salary of professors in engineering, economics, or business schools is more than twice that of professors in the humanities and social sciences. The United Kingdom also offers relatively higher compensation for professors in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields. This is not simply about paying certain individuals higher salaries, but rather a strategic choice to attract global talent and foster innovative research outcomes.

In contrast, in South Korea, even in highly competitive fields worldwide such as artificial intelligence (AI), data science, and biotechnology, professors receive the same salaries as those in Korean literature or history. Of course, this does not mean the value of the humanities is low. However, when the nation's economic and industrial structures are changing and future growth engines are concentrated in specific fields, the failure of universities to reflect this reality becomes a critical weakness for national competitiveness. Warnings that South Korea is already falling behind in the competition for AI talent have been raised multiple times. The phenomenon of researchers leaving universities for corporations or going abroad is by no means a coincidence.

Recently, the government has announced promising slogans such as "Creating 10 Seoul National Universities," signaling a shift in university policy. However, simply increasing the number of prestigious universities will not secure global competitiveness. What matters is qualitative change in universities, and at the core of this must be rational compensation that reflects the relative academic importance and social demand according to the needs of the times.

If structural changes do not follow, the reality of South Korean universities will devolve into professors traveling to Southeast Asia and other regions to recruit students just to fill the increased enrollment quotas. The global trend is for resources and talent to concentrate in specific departments such as AI. If Korean universities ignore this, no matter how many universities are established, it will be difficult to compete on the international stage.

Of course, it is not easy to rank the importance of academic disciplines in a way that everyone can accept. The long-term and non-market value of the humanities and social sciences is hard to quantify, and ensuring diversity of knowledge in a democratic society is also a crucial task. However, maintaining the current system for these reasons is merely avoiding the problem. In particular, in fields directly connected to national strategic industries such as AI, semiconductors, and biotechnology, there is fierce competition to attract top talent without exception. Falling behind here could mean losing growth engines for decades to come. This is not simply a matter of academic choice, but a matter of national survival strategy.

Universities are repositories of knowledge and talent, and the foundation of national competitiveness. Therefore, reforming the salary system for professors is not just a matter of compensation, but is directly linked to the strategic choice of what kind of future South Korean society will prepare for. Unless the structure is boldly innovated to meet the changing world, South Korean universities will inevitably fall further behind in global competition. Now is the time to begin structural reform, even if it is uncomfortable.

Kim Kyuil, Professor at Michigan State University