[Scientists Are Disappearing]④A Shaky Regional Research Ecosystem... "Professors Now Take the Initiative"

6 Out of 10 New Graduate Students Choose the Metropolitan Area
Only Institutes of Science and Technology Thriving in the Regions
"In the Past, Professors Selected Students... Now They Have to Recruit Them Themselves"

Editor's NoteThe claim that scientists are disappearing may sound exaggerated. After all, the number of graduate students in science and engineering and investment in research and development (R&D) remain steady according to official figures. However, the reality in the field tells a different story: empty graduate programs, prolonged postdoctoral (postdoc) periods, and regional laboratories marked by silence. Through this series, The Asia Business Daily examines the question, "Why are scientists disappearing?" and seeks solutions for how both policy and on-the-ground conditions must change so that scientists can continue their research in South Korea for the long term.

In regional university research labs, professors now seek out students themselves rather than waiting for them to come. In the past, students would knock on the doors of labs first, and professors would select talents suited to their research topics. Today, even holding admissions briefings rarely attracts many applicants, and even those who do consult often end up choosing graduate schools in the Seoul metropolitan area or jobs at large corporations instead. This has become the norm.

What is more severe than simply a decrease in student numbers is the "breakdown of research continuity." Outstanding students who complete their undergraduate studies in the regions are increasingly leaving for the Seoul metropolitan area or abroad. As a result, regional research labs are losing their function as incubators for future scientists.

The Statistical Illusion... The Real Crisis Lies in the Concentration of Increases

On the surface, statistics do not make the concentration of science and engineering graduate students in the Seoul metropolitan area seem that serious. As of 2025, the proportion of graduate students in science and engineering in the metropolitan area is 47.4%, which is actually slightly lower than the region's share of the total population (about 50.6%). However, looking at the direction of change reveals the seriousness of the problem.

Between 2021 and 2025, out of the 14,242 additional students enrolled in general graduate programs in natural sciences and engineering, a striking 56.8% (8,086 students) were enrolled at universities in the Seoul metropolitan area. This means that the influx of new students is heavily concentrated in the metropolitan area, far exceeding its population share.

Even within the "non-metropolitan" category, the situation is divided. Institutes of Science and Technology in Gwangju, Daegu, and Ulsan (GIST, DGIST, UNIST) are statistically classified as non-metropolitan, yet they maintain a status in terms of research environment and student recruitment comparable to major universities in the capital. Excluding these, it is the research labs at traditional regional national and private universities that are at risk.

The Jeju region, for example, has only 512 enrolled graduate students, an absolutely small number reflecting the region's limited scale of comprehensive universities. The small sample size paradoxically means that the research ecosystem is far more vulnerable to change in any particular lab or department. This is why there is concern that the departure of even one or two key personnel could collapse the research base of the entire region.

"Now Professors Seek Out Students"

A professor at a national university’s college of engineering in the Chungcheong region, who requested anonymity due to concerns about its impact on student recruitment, stated, "Students' reactions at admissions briefings are completely different from before. The prevailing atmosphere is that students now ask first how reliably they can secure employment at large corporations in the metropolitan area after graduation, rather than focusing on research itself."

Lee Pilho, Professor of Chemistry at Kangwon National University, said, "The biggest issue regional university research labs are experiencing is not just the decline in student numbers, but the concentration of top students in graduate schools and Institutes of Science and Technology (ISTs) in the metropolitan area." He added, "In fact, many departments at regional universities are experiencing shortages in graduate admissions, and the burden of securing research personnel is growing."

He continued, "In the past, regional universities could naturally secure a certain level of students, but now students strongly prefer metropolitan universities and large research-focused institutions right from the application stage. Recently, as reliance on postdoctoral researchers and foreign researchers increases, there is growing anxiety that the continuity of research and the very foundation for long-term research are being weakened."

A corridor view of a science and engineering research building at a regional university. In the science and technology sector, the declining school-age population and concentration in the metropolitan area overlap, causing growing concerns about difficulties in securing graduate students and research manpower shortages centered around research labs at some regional universities. The photo is not directly related to the article content. Photo by Kim Jonghwa

While the graduate school enrollment rate may not appear very different statistically, the situation on the ground has reached a critical point. In regional university labs with a weak recruitment base, the loss of even one or two graduate students can lead directly to the lab's closure.

If Regional Research Labs Falter, Both Industry and National Balance Are at Risk

The inability to recruit research staff leads to the severance of links with local industries. Fields such as marine, fisheries, geology, and energy—where research is closely tied to the local region—are typical examples. If regional research labs collapse, so too do the technological capabilities and talent pipelines that support the region's specialized industries.

Kim Junhwan, Professor at Jeju National University's Department of Fisheries and Life Medicine, pointed out, "The most decisive problem is the gap in living conditions between the metropolitan area and other regions. Researchers must be confident that they can conduct world-class research even outside the metropolitan area, but the reality is that there are enormous differences in research funding, infrastructure, and quality of life." He particularly emphasized, "The research capability gap leads to a drain of talent, and this is causing a 'domino effect' that results in the disappearance of regional areas."

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