Did you see it with your own eyes? This coin passed through the glass cup.
A magic show was held at the 'Quantum Korea 2025' exhibition, which opened on the 24th at the Yangjae aT Center in Seoul. When the magician threw a coin toward a transparent glass cup from a distance, the coin penetrated the cup.
This scene, which seems scientifically impossible, visually represents the tunneling effect of quantum mechanics. Quantum particles can cross barriers to the other side with a certain probability, even if they lack energy. This phenomenon is actually applied in technologies such as electron microscopy and semiconductors.
At the magician's request, two people who could not see each other on stage repeated the same action simultaneously. It was a magic trick representing quantum entanglement, which is the phenomenon where two particles can influence each other even when they are far apart.
Baek Seung-wook, Director General of the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF), noted, "To make quantum mechanics, which cannot be explained by classical physics, easier to understand for Quantum Korea 2025, we came up with the idea of using magic." He explained, "We aimed to convey complex scientific theories in a way that allows people to directly see and experience them on-site."
Quantum Korea is an event first held in 2023 by the Ministry of Science and ICT to enhance awareness of quantum science and technology. This year, it takes place from the 24th to the 26th under the theme '100 years of quantum, awakening the industry.' The event was attended by 57 universities, corporations, and research institutions from home and abroad.
Throughout the event venue, quantum technologies that have moved beyond the concepts of quantum mechanics to the actual implementation stage were introduced. IBM, which has built over 70 quantum computing systems worldwide, showcased a superconducting-based quantum processor architecture, drawing a large crowd.
Park Mi-ri, Director General at IBM Korea, said, "Quantum computers are sensitive to changes in the external environment, leading to frequent errors," adding, "Our goal is to complete a system that can detect and correct these errors in real-time by 2029."
Conventional computers represent the presence or absence of an electron as 0 or 1, or 1 bit. The unit of quantum computers is the qubit, where 0 and 1 states overlap. In quantum mechanics, which operates on a microscopic level, various superimposed states can exist. This greatly increases computational power, but qubits are extremely sensitive, making them prone to information loss from minor external influences.
IBM introduced a 'Gross code' that can replace the existing error correction code, the surface code. This technology can reduce the number of physical qubits needed to create a logical qubit by more than 90%. Park noted, "We are also improving the error correction function by changing the structure connecting the qubits," stating, "A faultless quantum computer is becoming more of a reality."
Various platforms to actually utilize quantum technology were also introduced at the exhibition. A prominent example was 'Braket,' a cloud-based quantum platform created by Amazon Web Services (AWS).
Braket allows users to access quantum hardware via the cloud (virtual servers) without the need to own or manage equipment. Users can select from several types of quantum computers, including superconductive and neutral atom types, and can test their developed quantum algorithms across multiple systems to find optimal conditions.
In particular, AWS highlighted its pay-as-you-go billing system as a key strength. A representative at the AWS booth stated, "While similar corporations use a prepaid billing system, AWS operates on a structure that charges only for what is used, lowering the entry barrier," and added, "In the case of hybrid tasks, we prioritize processing to significantly reduce waiting times."
The domestic corporation Norma unveiled cases of applying quantum technology across various fields. Utilizing its quantum computing platform 'Q Platform,' Norma is conducting projects in collaboration with the industrial field, including drug candidate screening, genomic analysis, and drone route optimization.
Song Chang-nyeong, Chief Technology Officer at Norma, stated, "We are collaborating with the pharmaceutical company Incelibre to find new drug substances using quantum algorithms," adding that it is also applied to optimize routes when operating drones, and the company has developed a quantum AI (artificial intelligence) algorithm device that can be attached to drones and robots.
On the first day of the event, following the opening ceremony, the Quantum Frontier Forum took place, where representatives from 12 countries, including Korea, presented their national quantum strategies. Keynote speeches were also given by Oskar Painter, who is in charge of quantum hardware at AWS and a professor at the California Institute of Technology, and Celia Merzbacher, representative of the Quantum Economic Development Consortium (QED-C).
However, some attendees assessed that the scale of this year's event has somewhat diminished compared to last year. In fact, the number of participating institutions, both domestic and international, has slightly decreased from 63 last year.
A corporate representative noted, "This year feels overall calmer, but this might be a sign that quantum technology is entering a phase of 'real readiness' rather than 'overheated expectations.'" They analyzed, "Just like it took nearly 20 years for the AI market to open, quantum technology will also mature as it goes through a foundational building period."