35.7 Trillion Won Invested in Science and Technology Talent Over 5 Years... Government: "Talent Is the Key"

The government has invested more than 35 trillion won in nurturing science and technology talent over the past five years, supporting the development of a workforce of about 1 million people annually.

The Ministry of Science and ICT announced on the 28th that it held the '23rd Special Committee on Future Talent' meeting, where it reviewed and approved six agenda items, including a review of science and technology talent policies and measures for women and overseas professionals.

Photo for better understanding of the article. On the 28th, job seekers participating in the "2026 Korea Win-Win Employment Fair" held at the aT Center in Seocho-gu, Seoul, are looking at the recruitment bulletin board. Photo by Jin-Hyung Kang

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The core focus of this meeting was reviewing the final year performance of the '4th Basic Plan for Fostering and Supporting Science and Technology Talent' (2021-2025). The government invested a total of 35.7 trillion won over five years and, in 2025 alone, allocated 9.2205 trillion won to support the growth of 1.2 million talents.

Trends in overseas talent were also confirmed. As of 2025, the number of foreign science and engineering students in Korea was recorded at 37,943, while the number of Korean science and engineering students studying abroad stood at 29,069. The number of Koreans employed overseas was approximately 73,500.

The proportion of women in science and technology has seen slight improvement. The share of women in the workforce rose to 23.7%, and the rate of new hires who are women increased to 31.9%, both up from the previous year. However, the proportion of women in managerial positions remained at 13.1%.

The government plans to strengthen efforts to prevent career interruptions for female researchers, foster talent in strategic technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), and support regionally-based talent development.

Park Inkyu, Head of the Office for Science and Technology Innovation, stated, "The key that determines national competitiveness is ultimately talent," adding, "We will focus policy capabilities on securing and nurturing science and technology talent."

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