Yoon: "Korea to Promote Transition of National R&D Support System... Backing Korea-UK Research Cooperation"

Yoon Attends Royal Society Hosted Korea-UK Top Scientists Future Forum

During his state visit to the United Kingdom, President Yoon Suk-yeol stated on the 22nd (local time), "The Republic of Korea is promoting a transition in its national research and development (R&D) support system to shift from quantity-driven growth to quality-driven growth, and from a follower to a leader."

This remark is interpreted as an effort to dispel concerns about Korea's R&D budget restructuring amid plans to strengthen Korea-UK cooperation in the field of science and technology.

At the 'Korea-UK Future Forum of Chief Scientists' held at the Royal Society, President Yoon emphasized, "More than $23 billion in annual national R&D funding will be focused on basic foundational technologies that are difficult to invest in through the private market, as well as innovative and challenging research aiming to be world-class."

President Yoon mentioned, "The successful economic growth of the Republic of Korea was possible because the government and the private sector worked together on scientific and technological research, which laid the foundation for strong industrialization."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

President Yoon also said, "We ask the Royal Society, the Korea Institute for Advanced Study, and the National Academy of Science and Technology of Korea to take the lead in creating world-class research outcomes and jointly nurturing future researchers through collaborative programs," promising, "The Korean government will actively support this."

He noted the necessity of Korea-UK scientific and technological cooperation, saying, "It is becoming increasingly difficult for a single outstanding genius to change the world. The hallmark of modern scientific and technological advancement is multiple talents conducting joint research and creating new knowledge together."

President Yoon further explained, "Challenges threatening humanity's future, such as unpredictable infectious diseases, depletion of energy resources, and the climate crisis, are difficult to solve by the technological innovation and efforts of a single country alone," adding, "A good example is how the world overcame the recent COVID-19 crisis together by rapidly developing vaccines based on mRNA and virus research."

He concluded by quoting Newton, "If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants," and expressed his hope that "the solidarity and cooperation of the top scientists gathered here today will become the shoulders of giants for young scientists in Korea and the UK."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.