[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 statement that scientists are disappearing may sound exaggerated. After all, statistics show that the number of graduate students in the science and engineering fields and investment in research and development (R&D) are being maintained. However, the reality in the field tells a different story: graduate programs failing to fill seats, prolonged postdoctoral (postdoc) positions, and regional research labs falling silent. Through this special series, The Asia Business Daily examines the question of 'Why are scientists disappearing?' and explores what changes are needed in both policy and practice to ensure that scientists can continue their research in South Korea for the long term.

In regional university laboratories, professors now seek out students themselves, instead of waiting for them to apply. In the past, students would knock on lab doors first, and professors would select candidates who matched their research topics. But now, even when admissions briefings are held, few applicants show up, and even those who consult often end up choosing graduate schools in the Seoul metropolitan area or jobs at large companies—a trend that has become routine.

The problem goes beyond a mere decline in student numbers. The greater concern is the 'breakdown in research continuity.' As talented undergraduates from regional areas move to the Seoul metropolitan area or abroad, there are growing fears that regional laboratories are losing their function as incubators for future scientists.

The Statistical Illusion: The Real Crisis Lies in the Distribution of Growth

At first glance, statistics suggest that the concentration of science and engineering graduate students in the Seoul metropolitan area is not severe. As of 2025, the proportion of science and engineering graduate students in the metropolitan area is 47.4%, which is actually slightly lower than the metropolitan area’s share of the national population (about 50.6%). However, the direction of change reveals the seriousness of the issue.

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

Even within the 'non-metropolitan' category, the situation is starkly divided. Institutes of Science and Technology located in Gwangju, Daegu, and Ulsan (GIST, DGIST, UNIST), although statistically classified as non-metropolitan, are on par with major universities in the metropolitan area in terms of research environment and student recruitment. Excluding these, it is the traditional national and private universities in non-metropolitan regions whose research laboratories are at real risk.

A hallway view of a science and engineering research building at a regional university. In the science and technology sector, the decline in the school-age population and the concentration in the metropolitan area overlap, raising concerns about difficulties in securing graduate students and research staff shortages, particularly in research labs at some local universities. Photo by Kim Joungho

The Jeju region also has an especially small number of enrolled students—512 in total—reflecting the region’s small comprehensive university size. Ironically, the small base means the regional research ecosystem is much more vulnerable to any changes in specific departments or labs. This is why there are concerns that even the departure of just one or two key personnel could lead to the collapse of the entire local research infrastructure.

"Now Professors Go Looking for Students"

A professor at a national university in the Chungcheong region, who requested anonymity due to concerns about the impact on student recruitment, said, "The response from students at admissions briefings is completely different from before. The prevailing mood is that they ask first about how likely it is to secure a stable job at a metropolitan area company after graduation, rather than about the research itself."

Lee Pilho, Professor of Chemistry at Kangwon National University, said, "The most acute issue regional university labs are facing now is not just a decrease in student numbers, but the concentration of top students in metropolitan area graduate schools and Institutes of Science and Technology (ISTs). In fact, many departments at regional university graduate schools are falling short of admissions targets, and securing research personnel is becoming increasingly burdensome."

He added, "In the past, regional universities could reliably secure a certain number of students, but now students overwhelmingly prioritize metropolitan universities and large research-oriented universities when considering further study. Moreover, as dependence on postdoctoral researchers and foreign researchers increases, there is a growing sense of crisis that the foundation for research continuity and long-term research itself is being weakened."

Although the graduate student enrollment rate may not appear to differ greatly in the statistics, the impact felt in the field has reached a critical point. In regional university labs with a limited recruitment base, the loss of even one or two graduate students can directly lead to the closure of the lab.

When Regional Research Labs Falter, Industry and National Balance Are Also at Risk

Failure to recruit researchers leads to a breakdown in the connection between local industries and universities. Fields such as oceanography, fisheries, geology, and energy—where research is closely tied to the region—are especially affected. If regional research labs collapse, the supply chain of technology and talent that supports the region’s specialized industries disappears as well.

Kim Junhwan, Professor of Aquatic Biomedical Science at Jeju National University, said, "The most decisive problem is the gap in living conditions between the metropolitan area and the regions. Researchers must feel confident that they can conduct world-class research even in the provinces, but in reality, there are huge differences in research funding, infrastructure, and living environment compared to the metropolitan area." He particularly emphasized, "The gap in research capabilities leads to a brain drain, which in turn triggers a 'domino effect' of regional decline."

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