Korea Launches Its Own 'Genesis Mission'... "Doubling Research Productivity by 2030"

MSIT Announces "K-Moonshot Promotion Strategy"
12 National Missions Selected, Including New Drug Development and Physical AI
"Dedicated PDs Will Be Designated and Granted Strong Authority"

The Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) has announced a mid- to long-term, pan-national project plan to secure scientific and technological competitiveness in the age of artificial intelligence (AI). The government plans to leverage AI to secure technological leadership, for example by doubling research productivity by 2030. It will also push for a special act to recruit talent for the project.

Bae Kyunghun, Deputy Prime Minister for Science and Technology and Minister of Science and ICT, is attending and speaking at the 1st Ministerial Meeting on Science and Technology held on the 24th at the Government Complex Seoul in Jongno-gu, Seoul. 2025.11.24 Photo by Cho Yongjun

On the 23rd, the Ministry of Science and ICT held a press briefing at the Government Complex Sejong in Sejong City under the theme of the “Korean-Style Genesis Mission K-Moonshot Promotion Strategy” and unveiled these plans. Yoo Eunsil, Head of the Science and Technology AI Diffusion Team at the Ministry of Science and ICT, said, “Until now, AI has been a supplementary tool for research, but it is now deeply involved throughout the entire process, from hypothesis setting and experiment design to data analysis, dramatically improving both the speed and the quality of research and development (R&D),” adding, “Korea has prepared this strategy to secure leadership in anticipation of a paradigm shift in science and technology.”

This project aims to significantly improve research productivity using AI by mobilizing the capabilities of both the government and the private sector so that Korea does not fall behind major advanced countries. Korea is currently facing a widening technology gap with the United States and China in AI and science. In November last year, the United States identified 26 grand challenges, including nuclear fusion and quantum computing, and announced the “Genesis Mission,” under which the federal government and big tech companies jointly lead AI innovation.

Mobilizing national capabilities of companies, universities, and government research institutes... All available resources to be deployed

Through the K-Moonshot Project, the Ministry of Science and ICT stated that it will double research productivity by 2030 and resolve 12 national missions across 8 major fields by 2035 through science, technology, and AI. The 12 national missions are new drug development, brain-machine interface, nuclear power, nuclear fusion, solar cells, humanoids, physical AI, space, materials, AI scientists, semiconductors, and quantum. To accomplish these missions, not only government ministries but also companies, universities, and government-funded research institutes will pool their national capabilities.

Yoo said, “To consolidate national science and technology AI resources and industrial capabilities, we will build a ‘National Science AI Integrated Platform,’” adding, “We will promote a system that opens and shares high-quality data held by 23 government-funded research institutes and others.” She also said, “Of the government’s purchases of advanced graphics processing units (GPUs), we will secure about 8,000 units exclusively for AI and allocate them strategically.”

The ministry also plans to actively recruit talent to run the K-Moonshot Project. The Ministry of Science and ICT will assign a dedicated project director (PD) for each mission and grant them strong authority over the planning and management of project R&D tasks. It will also push for the enactment of a special act to operate an efficient PD-centered accountability system and to allow exceptional compensation. The dedicated PDs will be designated at the 5th Ministerial Meeting on Science and Technology to be held next month. Kim Sungsoo, Director-General for R&D Policy at the Ministry of Science and ICT, said, “If PDs design the project using their expertise, the government will support them by assigning personnel and other resources,” adding, “We will define the missions precisely and create a structure in which we collaborate in a mission-oriented manner.”

All available resources, including budget, will be mobilized to support the project. Kim explained, “There are ongoing preliminary feasibility study projects, projects being planned by field, and newly planned projects, which together will amount to about 500 billion won as of next year.”