Yoon "Support Graduate Students' Research Life Scholarships... Create a World-Class Advanced Cluster in Daejeon" (Update)

Yoon Hosts 12th Public Livelihood Forum in Daejeon
Science and Engineering Master's and Doctoral Students Receive 800,000 and 1,100,000 KRW Monthly
Speeding Up Daejeon-Sejong-Cheongju CTX Construction

President Yoon Suk-yeol stated on the 16th, "We will officially begin supporting research living scholarships for graduate students, a long-standing wish of the science and technology community for 20 years."

President Yoon held the 12th Public Discussion Forum under the theme "Daejeon, the Science Capital Innovating the Republic of Korea" at the ICC Hotel in Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, and said, "We will provide full support so that our science and engineering students can focus on their studies and research without worrying about tuition or living expenses."

President Yoon emphasized, "All full-time science and engineering graduate students participating in national research and development will be supported without fail with a minimum of 800,000 KRW per month for master's students and a minimum of 1,100,000 KRW per month for doctoral students."

He added, "Until now, presidential science scholarships have been awarded only to undergraduate students, but this time, the target will be expanded to include graduate students, and the scholarship amount will be provided at an annual average of about 25 million KRW per person."

President Yoon stated that he will reform systems and budgets so that researchers can focus on challenging and innovative research and development (R&D), saying, "I understand that some people are concerned that support might decrease during this innovation process. You do not need to worry at all; rather, I can firmly say it will become much better."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

He also introduced plans to deregulate a total of 26 government-funded research institutes (GFRIs), including 16 located in Daejeon, and to designate the 2nd Daedeok Research Complex, being promoted in the Yuseong-gu and Seo-gu areas of Daejeon, as a research special zone. He cited the Boston Bio-Cluster as an example where R&D, legal, financial, and accounting service industries are combined.

President Yoon said, "R&D outcomes must translate into high economic value and be reinvested in a virtuous cycle to further activate R&D," adding, "Therefore, by combining the first special zone and the newly established second special zone, we will create the world's top-level Daejeon Advanced Cluster in fields such as nano semiconductors, bio, aerospace, and defense industries."

He emphasized accelerating the construction of metropolitan transportation infrastructure such as the Daejeon-Sejong-Cheongju CTX to create synergy among Daejeon's science and technology, Sejong's administrative functions, and Cheongju's bio semiconductor industry. President Yoon stressed, "We will establish a comprehensive plan for railway undergrounding next year and begin the basic plan for Daejeon railway undergrounding from 2026, ensuring the groundwork for construction within my term."

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