President Lee Meets Scientists and Engineers: "We Will Grant the Freedom and Right to Fail"... 20 'National Scientists' to Be Selected Annually

President Lee Attends National Briefing on "Korea, Dreaming Again of Becoming a Nation of Scientists and Engineers"
Plan to Select 100 National Scientists Over Five Years
Certificates, Research Activity Grants, and Transportation Benefits Provided i

President Lee Jaemyung stated, "Historically, countries that valued scientific civilization have prospered, while those that belittled science and technology have declined. Even looking at the Joseon Dynasty, King Sejong highly valued scientific and technological talent, granting social mobility to those with ability, regardless of their status. The same was true during King Jeongjo's reign."

Yonhap News Agency

On November 7, at the National Science Museum in Daejeon, President Lee presided over a public briefing and discussion session under the theme "Korea, Dreaming Again of Becoming a Nation of Scientists and Engineers," where he made these remarks. President Lee said, "Korea was once among the poorest countries, but in a short time, we have become the envy of the world in every field-economy, culture, politics, and military-because we studied hard. This was possible thanks to the efforts of previous generations, who were determined to create a better world by educating their children, even if it meant selling their farmland."

President Lee emphasized that, even if the possibility of failure is high, the government will actively support scientists and engineers so they can stably undertake challenging research and development (R&D) projects. The government has submitted a budget proposal to the National Assembly for next year's R&D budget, set at 35.4 trillion won, an increase of 19.3% from the previous year. This marks the largest increase ever. President Lee said, "We have increased the budget for science and technology to an unprecedented scale," adding, "In particular, we have decided to grant scientists and engineers the freedom and right to fail."

President Lee went on to say, "It is absurd for the R&D success rate to exceed 90%. It is the accumulation of failures that becomes the asset for success. We will create a proper research and development environment." He also confessed that, had his family circumstances been better, he would have liked to study microbiology or nuclear engineering instead of law.

About 200 people attended the public briefing, including undergraduate and graduate students in science and engineering, postdoctoral researchers, parents, and representatives from industry, academia, and research institutes. Government officials such as Kim Yongbeom, Chief Policy Officer at the Presidential Secretariat; Ha Jungwoo, Senior Secretary for AI Future Planning; and Bae Kyunghoon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and ICT, were also present.

President Lee stressed that, for advancements in science and technology to become opportunities for national growth, the R&D system must be reformed to attract outstanding talent into the scientific community. He urged efforts to ① build a rational society based on scientific thinking, ② create a nation where scientists and engineers are respected and valued, and ③ foster an environment where people are not afraid of failure and can boldly take on challenges.

20 "National Scientists" to Be Selected Annually, 100 Over Five Years Goal to Attract 2,000 International Talents by 2030

Yonhap News Agency

Following President Lee's opening remarks, Minister Bae announced the "Korea, Dreaming Again of Becoming a Nation of Scientists and Engineers" policy. This policy was directly instructed by President Lee, who emphasized the importance of science and technology for the nation's growth and future. It aims to create a virtuous cycle where outstanding science and technology talent gathers to lead innovation, and the results of innovation, in turn, attract more talent.

The policy includes detailed strategies such as: ▲ securing outstanding science and technology talent to lead the future ▲ building an attractive ecosystem where talent can grow stably ▲ creating an autonomous and efficient environment where researchers can focus solely on research ▲ establishing a system where bold challenges lead to continuous innovative R&D outcomes ▲ and supporting a system that ensures R&D resources are properly invested.

First, the government will introduce the "National Scientist" system as a role model for students in science and engineering. About 20 individuals will be selected each year, totaling approximately 100 over five years. The system will be finalized in the first half of next year, and the first National Scientists will be selected in the second half, considering both scientific and technological perspectives and socioeconomic impact. Those selected will receive, in addition to research funding, a certificate, research activity support grants, and transportation benefits. The government also plans to foster new science-technology-AI convergence talent, establish new AI science and gifted schools in regional areas, implement a fast-track program linking local science and gifted high schools with science and technology-focused universities, and expand investment in AI transformation (AX) at science and technology institutes to nurture regional AI talent. Additionally, by 2030, the government aims to attract 2,000 outstanding international talents and support excellent foreign students in settling in Korea.

To ease the financial burden on science and engineering students, the government will expand public sector jobs such as university research positions and promote private sector jobs such as startups, helping students worry less about their career paths. The policy also includes creating and expanding faculty and professional research positions, increasing the annual recruitment of about 600 new researchers at government-funded research institutes, and expanding basic research for incumbent researchers. The government will promote joint appointments between companies and universities, strengthen support for post-retirement activities, and establish a fund to foster corporate researchers to ensure stable research environments.

The research funding management system will shift from regulation-focused oversight by management agencies to researcher autonomy and responsibility. Universities will be allowed to centrally manage complex administrative and equipment management tasks. For the first time in 30 years, the project-based research system (PBS) at government-funded research institutes will be abolished, allowing researchers to focus on their core research. The government also plans to systematically foster national strategic technologies by promoting cross-ministerial projects and improving evaluation methods to encourage researchers to take on high-difficulty and high-value research. To ensure failure becomes an asset, the value of outcomes will be assessed in diverse ways, and incentives will be strengthened so that excellent evaluators conduct assessments with a sense of responsibility.

R&D Budget to Be Expanded to 5% of Total Government Expenditure Annually... "Second and Third Policy Phases to Follow"

The R&D budget will be expanded annually to about 5% of total government expenditure, and artificial intelligence will be introduced into the investment management process to promote predictable and rational investments. A system will be established to collect, manage, and share valuable research data, enabling researchers to work efficiently in a richer data environment. The plan also includes introducing a regional autonomous R&D system to allow technology-driven growth to flourish in local areas and supporting the research capabilities of regional hub universities to reach the level of science and technology institutes.

Ha Jungwoo, Senior Secretary for AI Future Planning at the Presidential Office, said, "The previous administration's R&D budget cuts damaged the science and technology ecosystem and accelerated the outflow of talent. To successfully secure outstanding science and technology talent and establish a researcher-centered R&D ecosystem, we will closely monitor policy implementation and continuously develop new agendas, pushing forward with the second and third phases of policy development."

Earlier, President Lee Jaemyung visited the Korea Institute of Fusion Energy's superconducting fusion research facility (KSTAR). There, he was briefed on the status of fusion R&D as a future energy source to address the surge in electricity demand in the AI era and the need for carbon neutrality, and he encouraged the researchers for their hard work. KSTAR is a world-class superconducting fusion research device and holds the world record for the longest plasma operation at an ion temperature of 100 million degrees for 48 seconds.