Yoon's Decision Lifts 'Public Institution' Shackles on Science and Technology Research Institutes

Over 10 Years of Scientific Community's Long-Standing Wish Fulfilled
Promotion of Convergent Research Among Government-Funded Research Institutes
Ministry of Science and ICT to Announce Follow-up Management Plan in February
Exclusion of Institute for Basic Science from Deregulation... Need for Basic Science Support Measures

President Yoon Suk-yeol's directive to revoke the designation of science and technology research institutes as public institutions has become a reality after about two months. The Ministry of Science and ICT plans to actively encourage convergence research among science and technology research institutes to continue the president's commitment to supporting science and technology.

President Yoon Suk-yeol delivers an encouragement speech at the 2024 New Year's Meeting for Scientists and Information and Communication Professionals held on the 5th at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 31st, the Ministry of Economy and Finance held a Public Institution Management Committee meeting chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Choi Sang-mok to review and approve the '2024 Public Institution Designation Plan.' The core of this plan was the revocation of the public institution designation for science and technology research institutes.

As a result of this decision, the National Science and Technology Council (NST), established under the 'Act on the Establishment, Operation, and Promotion of Government-Funded Research Institutes in the Field of Science and Technology,' and its 21 affiliated research institutes (26 in total including 4 attached research institutes) were removed from the public institution category.

The revocation of public institution designation was a long-standing wish for the science and technology research institutes. Last year, four major science institutes including KAIST were previously relieved of this designation, but the science and technology research institutes were excluded, leaving some regret.

This measure was carried out through the active involvement of President Yoon Suk-yeol. After receiving a proposal to revoke the public institution designation for science and technology research institutes at a luncheon meeting of the National Science and Technology Advisory Council on November 27 last year, President Yoon ordered the revocation. Subsequently, the Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Ministry of Science and ICT took follow-up actions, leading to the swift revocation.

The Ministry of Science and ICT explained that this revocation of public institution designation for science and technology research institutes is a measure to resolve long-standing demands from the field, secure operational autonomy, and enhance research excellence to maximize outcomes.

Until now, science and technology research institutes have been managed as public institutions since the enactment of the 'Act on the Management of Public Institutions' in 2007, applying regulations such as total personnel cost limits without considering their characteristics as research institutes. The field has demanded revocation of the public institution designation, fearing a decline in competitiveness with leading overseas research institutes.

Some argue that this measure is a trade-off for cuts in national research and development funding, but the field is welcoming it for now. An executive of a science and technology research institute said, "As a public institution, we faced many difficulties due to various regulations from personnel costs to welfare," expressing relief at the increased flexibility.

The Ministry of Science and ICT plans to prepare follow-up measures to promote collaboration among science and technology research institutes and to facilitate the movement of knowledge and convergence research. On the 14th of next month, an innovation plan presentation attended by Minister Lee Jong-ho and heads of science and technology research institutes will disclose the operational direction and institutional improvements following the revocation of public institution designation.

Joo Han-kyu, president of the Council of Heads of Science and Technology Research Institutes and director of the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, said that the long-standing demands of the research field have been resolved and added, "Going forward, based on autonomy and responsibility, the research field will strive even harder to develop the science and technology research institutes."

Minister Lee Jong-ho of the Ministry of Science and ICT stated, "This revocation of public institution designation will lead to innovation in the support system, and together with the field, we will strive to make our science and technology research institutes the world's first and best research institutions."

Meanwhile, the exclusion of the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) from this revocation remains an issue to be resolved. This situation is a recurrence of what science and technology research institutes faced when the public institution designation for the four major science institutes was revoked last year.

IBS was established with the goal of nurturing Korea's lagging basic science sector into a research institute comparable to Germany's Max Planck Institute, known as a 'Nobel Prize factory,' but it still faces research restrictions as a public institution.

IBS was established as part of the Lee Myung-bak administration's International Science Business Belt project. Its founding legal basis is the 'Special Act on the Establishment and Support of the International Science Business Belt.' It is not affiliated with NST. Therefore, it was not subject to exclusion from public institution designation like the NST-affiliated science and technology research institutes.

The Ministry of Economy and Finance explained that IBS was excluded from this revocation because its governance structure differs from that of NST-affiliated research institutes. This implies that unless a new governance structure capable of managing IBS is established, revocation of its public institution designation will remain difficult in the future.

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