Yang Hyang-ja Seeks Solutions to 'STEM Major Dropout Phenomenon' with Chonnam National University Students

Yang Hyang-ja, representative of Hope for Korea (Gwangju Seo-gu Eul), held an open and candid discussion with university students on the 4th.

On the same day, Representative Yang met with science and engineering students at Yeongmyeong Hall, Building 2, College of Engineering, Chonnam National University, holding a roundtable on "Causes and Solutions for the Brain Drain of Science and Engineering Talents."

The event was attended by about 50 students majoring in semiconductor-related departments at Chonnam National University and local science and engineering students.

As the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution dawns, major global countries are fiercely competing in the technology hegemony war, but the actual industrial field is suffering from a manpower shortage. This is due to the ongoing "brain drain" phenomenon among domestic science and engineering students, partly caused by the recent expansion of medical school quotas.

Representative Yang said, "If we neglect the brain drain of science and engineering talents, an industrial and economic collapse will begin," adding, "Political and academic circles must join forces to seek solutions so that excellent advanced technology talents can lead the Fourth Industrial Revolution era with pride."

Hong Seong-hoon, director of the Semiconductor Specialization Project Group at Chonnam National University, said, "The students gathered here are soon to be the future of each university and of South Korea," and added, "Universities, local governments, and the nation must work together to ensure that science and engineering students can enter society, find jobs, and work with pride without any problems."

Student A, who attended the event, pointed out the current situation where the enrollment rate in technology-related departments among science and engineering students is decreasing, and top-tier talents are gravitating toward medical schools.

In fact, according to Jongno Academy, an entrance exam specialist, in December last year, more students than 150% of the regular admission quota for semiconductor contract departments at universities such as Korea University, Yonsei University, Sogang University, and Hanyang University for the 2023 academic year gave up their enrollment. The private education industry predicted that most of these students likely enrolled in medical schools.

In response, Representative Yang said, "The starting salary of a researcher at the National Aerospace Research Institute is about 30 million KRW, with an average annual salary of around 95 million KRW," adding, "The average annual salary of doctors reaches 230 million KRW. This is a clear example of the poor treatment of science and technology professionals."

For these reasons, the domestic advanced industry is increasingly concerned about the shortage of technical personnel. In particular, the semiconductor industry is expected to face a shortage of about 50,000 semiconductor workers by 2031.

Representative Yang emphasized, "We must strive to improve treatment by granting stock options or tax benefits to advanced technology talents," adding, "All possible policy measures, such as income tax reductions and special housing supply for local talents, must be fully mobilized."

Regarding ways to increase the influx of science and engineering talents into advanced technology fields, she said, "In the 1970s and 1980s, through the 'National Science Movement,' the demand and supply of science and technology personnel were carefully predicted and talents were nurtured," adding, "We need to restart the 'New National Science Movement' to quickly respond to changes in the advanced industry paradigm."

She also added, "Science and engineering talents can utilize 'advanced industry clusters' to find quality jobs," and said, "We must focus on mainstream technologies and essential industries to create good jobs centered on advanced industry clusters. This can also promote regional development."

Questions about South Korea's response direction amid the US-China semiconductor hegemony war followed.

Representative Yang replied, "South Korea is a tenant of the US semiconductor houses and cannot produce a single chip without the US," adding, "China is our largest buyer of semiconductors and the country where major production bases are located. Both are equally important to Korea."

She emphasized, "Instead of worrying about choosing between the two, we must secure a technological super-gap in semiconductors and become a ‘Super Eul (乙)’ that is not shaken by either the US or China."

Lee In-su, a graduate of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Chonnam National University who hosted the event, said, "It is an honor to meet Representative Yang, a legendary engineer, and students from Chonnam National University and Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST) who will lead the nation's future," adding, "I also work with pride as a science and technology professional. The National Assembly, government, and the public need to pay much attention so that the number of workers in advanced industries can increase."

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