The government plans to raise universities' and research institutes' capacity to respond to research security while applying a separate management system to strategically important national research and development (R&D) projects to reduce the risk of technology leakage.
The Ministry of Science and ICT held a "research security interagency meeting" in Seoul on the 9th with officials from related agencies, including the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources, and the National Intelligence Service, and on-site experts in attendance. The meeting was chaired by First Vice Minister Gu Hyeok-chae of the Ministry of Science and ICT, and discussed the basic direction for establishing research security, future implementation plans, and an interagency cooperation system.
The government says that while the openness of science and technology research is a core foundation of innovation, it needs to respond to potential outflows of research assets, inappropriate information sharing, and the possibility of foreign interference that can arise as international cooperation expands. In particular, there have been repeated notes from the research field that there is not enough specialized capacity to assess risks in international cooperation in advance and to provide guidance.
Accordingly, the government set a principle to establish a balanced research security system that protects researchers without discouraging international cooperation. Rather than sanctioning risks after the fact, it will prevent them in advance and apply different levels of measures depending on the sensitivity of the technology field and the project.
First, it will strengthen on-site response capabilities at universities and research institutes. Centered on the research security center launched in April, it will expand education and consulting, and starting in July, it plans to support individual universities in setting up research security units and staffing. It will also push for institutional improvements to transparently manage benefit information received from foreign institutions or governments to prevent conflicts of interest.
Management of foreign research personnel participating in national research and development (R&D) programs will also be systematized. It also plans to overhaul the operation of security regulations and security inspection systems at Government-funded research institute (GFRI) and major universities to raise the management level of each research institution.
More stringent management will apply to fields of high strategic importance. In August, the government plans to introduce a new mid-level security classification, "sensitive projects," for national R&D projects. Sensitive projects will focus on ensuring that research outcomes in technologies that need to be nurtured at the national level do not leak overseas.
In addition, for international cooperation projects that are highly sensitive or involve large budgets, it will review the reliability of the partnership before the project begins and pilot a plan to manage research security throughout the entire research cycle. Protective measures such as research security education and consulting will also be strengthened for key science and technology talent and researchers in sensitive technology fields.
The Ministry of Science and ICT plans to operate a research security response system with participation from pan-government ministries, related agencies, and the research field, and to continue policy coordination with major countries and international consultative bodies.
First Vice Minister Gu Hyeok-chae said, "We will establish a field-centered support system so researchers can conduct international cooperation safely," adding, "We will work with related agencies so Korea can cement its place as a trusted research cooperation partner."