As competition in artificial intelligence (AI), quantum, bio, and space technologies shakes not only industry but also security and the international order, the government has begun formulating a long-term science and technology strategy aimed at 2045.
The Ministry of Science and ICT held an inauguration ceremony for the 2045 science and technology frontier strategy committee on the 4th and convened the first general committee meeting. The goal is to prepare a mid- to long-term strategy so that by 2045, the 100th anniversary of Liberation Day, Korea can secure technological sovereignty and leap forward as a science and technology powerhouse.
Jeong Il-yeong, a research fellow at the Science and Technology Policy Institute (STEPI), who gave the keynote presentation that day, said, "In fields such as memory semiconductors, displays, and smartphones, Korea started as a latecomer and grew by playing catch-up," and noted, "In particular, since 2005, reliance on semiconductors has continued among Korea's top export items, which can also be seen as meaning that new growth engines have not been sufficiently found."
He added, "A future strategy is needed to break the entrenched export structure and transition to high value-added industries," and said, "As key technologies such as AI, bio, quantum, and energy are at an inflection point, now is the time to redraw our future strategy."
In response, the government will draw multiple future scenarios for what Korean society should look like in 2045 and present, alongside them, science and technology tasks, frontier technologies, and directions to improve the research and development system to make them a reality.
The strategy committee consists of a general committee and eight subcommittees. Vice Premier and Minister Bae Kyung-hoon and KAIST President Lee Kwang-hyung serve as co-chairs of the general committee, and the subcommittees are divided into future design; hyperintelligence and hyperconnectivity; life and medicine; climate, environment, and energy; future mobility; space and deep sea; future materials and manufacturing; and innovation policy.
At an open discussion that day, Hong Sung-uk, a professor in the department of science studies at Seoul National University and a general committee member, said, "Looking back at history, there are far more cases of failure than success in future planning," and pointed out, "We must reflect both the failures and lessons of past strategies."
The committee includes not only experts from the science and technology community but also a science fiction author, a TV producer, and young researchers. Bae Myung-hoon, a science fiction author and general committee member, said, "Right now in Korean literature, science fiction is the most central theme," and added, "We will consider together how changes in science and technology will affect humans and society."
Park Su-bin, a combined master's and doctoral student in the department of physics at Yonsei University and a general committee member, said, "If you think back to 2006, 20 years from now, it was not easy at the time to predict that quantum computers would receive as much attention as they do now," and emphasized, "All technologies ultimately begin with basic science. To prepare for future technologies, steady support for basic science at a certain scale or larger must continue."
The ministry will release an interim draft of the strategy within the year after discussions by each subcommittee and begin gathering public input. The final strategy will be announced in Apr. 2027, marking the 60th anniversary of science and technology.
Vice Premier Bae Kyung-hoon said, "We cannot predict the future with precision, but we also cannot sail without a compass amid the waves of massive technological change," and added, "We will do our utmost to pool the wisdom of top experts in each field and prepare for the next 20 years of Korea's science and technology."