The government will simultaneously push a science and technology artificial intelligence (AI) strategy, an innovation plan for the research and development (R&D) ecosystem, and a strategy to secure science and technology talent to restore science and technology competitiveness and create future growth engines. It said it will redesign the overall system so researchers can immerse themselves in challenging and creative research and translate it into national growth, going beyond simply responding to the AI era's global competition for technological supremacy and restoring a damaged research environment.
On the 24th in the morning at Government Complex Seoul, the government held the first Meeting of Ministers Related to Science and Technology, chaired by Prime Minister Kim Min-seok and attended by Ministers from related ministries. Detailed strategies for science and technology AI, R&D ecosystem innovation, and securing science and technology talent were unveiled that day.
◇ Develop AI models in six fields including bio and semiconductors
Focusing on national strength areas such as bio, earth science, mathematics, materials and chemistry, semiconductors and displays, and secondary batteries, the government will develop and spread science and technology AI foundation models and research companion AI. By developing AI agents and platforms with joint participation from industry, academia, and research, and building Robotics-based autonomous laboratories, it aims to dramatically accelerate research and secure industrial competitiveness.
In science high schools, gifted schools, and institutes of science and technology, AI education will be embedded to foster top-tier science and technology AI talent, and researcher-led AI transition will be promoted by establishing university basic research AI centers and nurturing AX postdoctoral researchers.
In addition, securing more than 8,000 GPUs (graphics processing units), integrating and opening national research data, resolving copyright issues, establishing a National Science AI Institute, and hosting the ASK 2026 competition will be pursued together to build core infrastructure and an ecosystem. To quickly translate research results into industry, the government will also parallel efforts such as identifying and matching early demand, revitalizing AI technology-based startups, and providing full-cycle investment support for scaling up.
◇ Build a full-cycle growth ladder for STEM talent
The government will systematically nurture outstanding talent by preparing a full-cycle growth ladder for STEM talent that continues from students to national scientists. It has institutionalized a pathway in which a science prodigy goes on to become a presidential or outstanding scholarship recipient, then a postdoctoral researcher receiving the Sejong Science Fellowship, and then advances to a young national scientist and a leader national scientist.
First, a national scientist system will be newly established to provide scientists with honor and a stable research environment. About 20 researchers with world-class research achievements will be selected each year, and upon selection they will receive annual support of 100 million won, a conversation with the president, invitations to major national events, and top-level national treatment such as airport immigration fast track and KTX fare support. They will also participate in designing national R&D and policy.
Young researchers within seven years of obtaining a doctorate will be selected as "young national scientists" and receive a presidential fellowship, grants, and customized growth programs.
Support will also be strengthened to build a stable growth foundation for STEM students and young researchers. The coverage rate of national scholarships for undergraduates will be expanded to 60%, and a new "Youth Science and Technology Leap Savings (tentative name)" will be introduced for young master's and doctoral students in STEM who face difficulties in asset formation due to late entry into society.
Support across researchers' life cycles will be expanded, including full implementation of reduced working hours and discretionary work systems for researchers with childcare responsibilities, launching a program to help research support personnel return to their careers (in 2027), and establishing a legal basis to support childbirth and childcare for student researchers (in 2026). The government will also pursue codifying the legal status of postdoctoral researchers and preparing standard guidelines for recruitment and career management.
Top 1% best researchers at government-funded research institutes will receive bold incentives, and the utilization of talent will be raised by promoting concurrent positions across universities, government-funded research institutes, and corporations. A new "distinguished scholar support program" will allow research to continue after retirement age, providing up to 250 million won per year for up to five years to 20 people next year.
◇ Fully abolish national R&D evaluation grade system
The government also presented an R&D ecosystem innovation plan to restore the damaged research ecosystem and ensure that researchers' challenge and immersion lead to national growth. First, it will fully abolish the evaluation grade system for national R&D projects and change to a method that judges only "completed" or "not completed," focusing on diligence in execution. Outstanding research results or meaningful research processes will be given separate incentives.
Small-scale projects such as basic research will be exempt from stage evaluations, and large-scale projects will adopt in-depth evaluations such as residential evaluations. Execution of research funds will follow a negative regulation approach that specifies only disallowed items, greatly increasing research flexibility.
In addition, to reflect the characteristics of R&D projects with high uncertainty, the system aligning with the fiscal year will be abolished, and a flexible budget operation system will be introduced for all R&D programs. Preliminary reviews of large research and development projects will also shift away from being centered on preliminary feasibility studies to a customized pre-check system focused on planning and supplementation, shortening project implementation periods by more than two years. Government-funded research institutes will gradually abolish the project-based operation system (PBS) and shift to institution evaluations centered on representativeness.
Vice Prime Minister Bae Kyung-hoon said, "What Korea needs to leap forward as a powerhouse in science, technology, and artificial intelligence is not 'the effort of any single ministry' but 'the combined capabilities of all of us,'" and emphasized, "Starting with this meeting, I will, as vice prime minister, surely lead from the center of coordination and integration so that Korea can advance without wavering in the future technology competition."