Launch of the Deputy Prime Minister for Science and Technology

Former Deputy Prime Minister Myung Oh, who served as the inaugural Deputy Prime Minister for Science and Technology, stated, "Korea has advanced to the point where, thanks to the IT revolution, last year’s per capita national income reached $36,624, surpassing Japan for the second consecutive year." He added, "Now, the government needs to concretely define how to create a better country through the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution." In an interview with Asia Economy on September 29, following the passage of the revised Government Organization Act in the National Assembly plenary session, former Deputy Prime Minister Oh emphasized, "Now, as we face the AI revolution, it is a very important time to design the direction of national development." The Ministry of Science and ICT was elevated to the level of a deputy prime ministerial ministry after the revised Government Organization Act was approved by the Cabinet on September 30. As a result, the Deputy Prime Minister for Science a

With the reinstatement of the position of Deputy Prime Minister for Science and Technology after 17 years, the scientific and industrial communities have attributed symbolic significance to the move, viewing it as a reinforcement of the status of science and technology. However, concerns have been raised that if real authority is not guaranteed, this could simply amount to a change in nameplate with no substantive impact. As the private sector moves at breakneck speed while the government lags behind, there are growing voices that the leadership in policy design and execution has become hollow. Accordingly, there are calls for the Deputy Prime Minister for Science and Technology to take a much stronger leadership role. The scientific community advises that lessons should be learned from past experiences. The Deputy Prime Minister for Science and Technology system was first introduced under the Roh Moo-hyun administration. During the tenure of Deputy Prime Minister Oh Myung, meetings of

There is a growing consensus that for the Deputy Prime Minister for Science and Technology to be effective, budgetary authority is essential. Concerns have been raised that even if the position is elevated to Deputy Prime Minister, it may lack real power without substantive authority. In particular, regarding next year’s national research and development (R&D) budget of 35.3 trillion won, even if the Deputy Prime Minister for Science and Technology plays a ‘coordinating’ role, the final authority to ‘allocate’ the budget still remains with the Ministry of Economy and Finance. Experts point out that “transferring budget allocation authority is realistically difficult,” but also stress that “if even the authority to distribute and coordinate is not clearly guaranteed, the Deputy Prime Minister system will lose its effectiveness.” The key issue is empowering the authority to distribute and coordinate. Traditionally, each ministry submits its budget request at the end of May. The Office fo