The South Korean government plans to invest approximately 4 trillion won in seven key SEED projects next year and over 200 trillion won in national research and development (R&D) over the next five years. The initiative aims to strengthen connections from R&D to intellectual property (IP) acquisition, as well as to accelerate innovation in research and development utilizing artificial intelligence (AI).
The Ministry of Science and ICT held the 13th Science and Technology Ministerial Meeting on September 30 at the Government Seoul Building to discuss strategies for securing future growth engines and R&D innovation.
Baek Kyung-hoon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and ICT, emphasized, "As discussions arise about the need to control the pace of AI development, international cooperation to address advanced AI risks is becoming more active. What South Korea needs now is not speed control, but 'speed responsibility.'"
He added, "The gap between countries with frontier AI capabilities and those without will extend beyond mere technological differences to impact national future competitiveness. Our path is to create a nation that can advance quickly while ensuring safety in AI development."
During the meeting, plans for the seven SEED projects, support for innovation based on IP, strategies to strengthen irreplaceable R&D innovation, and the K-Moonshot strategy roadmap were reviewed and approved.
The government will invest about 4 trillion won in the seven SEED projects next year. It aims to expand investment-type R&D, where the government and businesses share risks, and support the growth of deep tech companies through the National Growth Fund, Science and Technology Innovation Fund, and the Fund of Funds.
R&D investment will also be increased. According to the 'National R&D Mid- to Long-term Investment Strategy (2026-2030),' the government plans to invest over 200 trillion won in the next five years. Key areas, including the seven SEED projects, will link early-stage research with demonstration and commercialization while enhancing inter-agency collaboration.
A new block funding initiative will be introduced to support universities with research funding at the institutional level. The government will also support the expansion of full-time researchers and equipment personnel, as well as the shared use and opening of university research equipment.
To enhance the commercialization of national R&D outcomes, an IP strategy will be implemented. Starting with Physical AI, a national strategic technology patent strategy map will be established, and patent information will be utilized as AI training data. Support will also be provided to secure standard patents in future fields, including core IP for Sovereign AI and Physical AI.
The K-Moonshot initiative will be actively pursued to address technical challenges in the seven SEED projects and three mega projects. The government plans to establish mission-specific R&D and demonstration plans and milestones over the next decade, allocating some of the approximately 8,000 GPUs from the sixth supercomputer to the K-Moonshot. Development of specialized AI agents for each mission and conversion of research data for AI training will also be promoted.
Deputy Prime Minister Baek stated, "The establishment of the Vice Ministerial system for science and technology and AI a year ago was aimed at consolidating the nation's capabilities to enhance competitiveness in key areas and secure future strategic assets. Through the Science and Technology Ministerial Meeting, we will enhance policy execution by coordinating and collaborating on major issues among ministries."
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.