South Korea will announce a new strategy in September to support research and development in advanced technologies, the science ministry said on August 14, 2025.

Science Minister Bae Kyung-hoon discussed improvements to the R&D ecosystem with researchers at Seoul National University ahead of the plan’s release.

The upcoming blueprint aims to help universities, state-funded research institutes, and businesses focus on core activities in science and technology.

Researchers at the meeting requested more predictable R&D policies, fewer administrative hurdles, and changes to how government-funded projects are evaluated.

They also encouraged the government to support efforts to commercialize research outcomes.

🔗 Source: Yonhap News Agency

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ South Korea’s R&D success stemmed from massive sustained investment and strategic partnerships

The government’s new researcher-friendly ecosystem plan continues a transformation that began six decades ago with extraordinary commitment to R&D growth.

In 1964, South Korea invested just $5 million in R&D with fewer than 5,000 scientists and engineers1. By 2005, this had grown to $26.3 billion—a 50-fold increase over 24 years with an average annual growth rate of nearly 20%1.

The government’s strategic support for chaebols (large conglomerates) proved crucial, as by 2005 the top 20 firms alone accounted for 57% of total industrial R&D investments1.

This sustained approach yielded dramatic results: patents granted by Korea’s Industrial Property Office jumped from 1,808 in 1981 to 73,512 in 2005, with Korean inventors’ share rising from 12.8% to 72.7% of total patents1.

Today South Korea maintains this intensity, spending approximately 4.96% of GDP on R&D, making it one of the world’s most R&D-intensive economies and ranking 5th globally in absolute spending at $132 billion2.

2️⃣ Administrative burden reduction addresses a persistent innovation bottleneck

The researchers’ call for reduced administrative burdens reflects a systemic challenge that continues to limit South Korea’s innovation potential despite massive R&D spending.

South Korea’s restrictive regulatory framework requires explicit permission for activities not explicitly permitted by law, creating uncertainty that stifles risk-taking and entrepreneurial innovation3.