South Korea to Consolidate Public Institutions Under Science Ministry

The Ministry of Science and ICT will reduce the number of its public institutions from 21 to 17.

On September 15, the ministry announced plans for a "public institution function reform" aimed at streamlining similar and overlapping functions and enhancing inter-agency connectivity.

First, the Korea Data Agency (K-DATA) will merge with the National Information Society Agency (NIA). The integration aims to combine NIA's data policy support capabilities with K-DATA's expertise in promoting the data industry and facilitating data utilization and distribution.

Additionally, four major science centers will be consolidated. The independent corporations of these regional science centers will be merged to establish a new entity, tentatively named the National Science Museum Foundation. Currently, functions such as science content exhibitions and educational program operations are carried out separately, but the merger will allow for joint planning of exhibition content and shared use of collections to enhance services.

The plan also includes incorporating the Korea Institute of Science and Technology Evaluation and Planning into the Korea Research Foundation as a subsidiary. This move aims to identify outstanding research outcomes from basic and fundamental research projects and promote the utilization and dissemination of these results through technology transfer and commercialization.

Furthermore, the ministry will pursue the unification of functions to improve the efficiency of research and development special zones, including regional autonomous R&D projects. Facility management and cleaning tasks for the R&D special zone will be transferred to the Science and Technology Facility Management Agency, a subsidiary of a government-funded research institution, while security and guidance duties will be handed over to the Science and Technology Security Management Agency, enhancing the management efficiency of local operations.

The Ministry of Science and ICT stated, "We plan to promote the necessary legal amendments and revisions for the integration and will continuously communicate with relevant ministries, local governments, and labor unions to ensure employee job security and existing treatment during the integration process, while adequately addressing any concerns raised."