5.9% increase in budget in 2025 compared to the previous year
R&D budget set at 29.7 trillion won,
2025 Budget Infographic. ⓒ Ministry of Science and ICT, ‘[Daily News = Reporter Kim So-hee] The Ministry of Science and ICT announced on the 28th that the budget for 2025 totals 19 trillion won, an increase of 5.9% compared to 17.9 trillion won in 2024.’,
,
, ‘The Ministry of Science and ICT explained that it focused its investments on ▲ leading-edge R&D, ▲ AI·digital innovation ▲ fostering core talents and basic research ▲ strengthening strategic international cooperation.’,
,
, ‘To transition from a chasing strategy to a leading-edge strategy in R&D systems, the Ministry of Science and ICT will allocate 4.3 trillion won, which is 44% of the R&D budget for 2025.’,
,
, ‘It will focus on securing global leadership in three major game-changer technologies: artificial intelligence (AI)-semiconductors, advanced bio, and quantum.’,
,
, ‘In the AI field, it will develop next-generation technologies to overcome the limitations of generative AI and support technological innovation across the entire AI-semiconductor value chain.’,
,
, ‘In the bio field, it will support technological innovations such as establishing a bio foundry, genetic regulation/editing, new drug development, and rare cancer diagnosis. In the quantum field, it will promote mission-oriented flagship projects, secure leading-edge technologies through global collaboration bases, and commercialize quantum sensors.’,
,
, ‘It will expand investments in innovative and challenging R&D projects. The budget for challenging R&D projects increased by 17 billion won from the previous year to 117 billion won, and the budget for innovative small modular nuclear reactors also doubled to 53 billion won.’,
,
, ‘The budget for developing key technologies for the safety of used nuclear fuel storage and disposal was increased from 194 billion won in 2024 to 214 billion won. The Green Hydrogen technology self-reliance project increased from 34 billion won to 103 billion won, and a new budget of 57 billion won was allocated for developing core technologies for zero-carbon energy.’,
,
, ‘A total of 1.833 trillion won, an 83% increase from last year, will be allocated to global top strategic research teams.’,
,
, ‘As a follow-up measure to the AI Seoul Summit, support for leading global AI-digital order, such as establishing an AI safety research institute, will be expanded. It will invest 244 billion won in AI semiconductor validation support and establish a new AI innovation fund (450 billion won) in 2025.’,
,
, ‘It will support stable research environments for young talented individuals who will lead Korea’s future, strengthen AI and digital education to secure key personnel in cutting-edge technology, and establish a research life encouragement grant for graduate students in science and engineering to create an environment where they can focus on research.’,
,
, ‘A budget of approximately 59.9 billion won was allocated for fostering innovative scientific talent, an increase of about 7 billion won from the previous year. New budgets were also included for encouraging student researchers (60 billion won) and supporting AI fellowships (6 billion won).’,
,
, ‘To respond to technological sovereignty competition and expand Korea’s role in the international community, investments in international cooperation related to science and technology will be continuously expanded.’,
,
, ‘It will actively promote major advanced countries and international joint research. It will expand the scale of ongoing international joint research projects in the three major game-changing technologies (AI, bio, quantum) as well as semiconductor and material fields (34 billion won in 2024 → 73 billion won in 2025). New international joint research projects will also be established in the carbon neutrality field. Moreover, in March of this year, Korea’s participation in ‘Horizon Europe,’ the world’s largest multinational research innovation program, was finalized, and Korea will actively participate in it and encourage Korean researchers to join.’,
,
,
,
, ‘The government’s R&D budget for 2025 was set at 29.7 trillion won, an 11.8% increase from 26.5 trillion won in 2024.’,
,
, ‘The R&D budget will be expanded to strategically invest in the three major game-changing technologies (AI-semiconductors, advanced bio, quantum) for achieving the goal of becoming a strategic technology power in 2030 (2.7 trillion won in 2024 → 3.5 trillion won in 2025), and invest 1 trillion won in innovative and challenging research and development.’,
,
, ‘Basic research (2.9 trillion won) will be supported according to the characteristics of each field and researcher. Efforts will be made to build a stable research environment for graduate science and engineering students and enhance investments in global cooperation with initiatives such as participating in Horizon Europe (2.2 trillion won).’,
,
, ‘A plan is set to invest 2.4 trillion won in securing cutting-edge technology, 3.3 trillion won in technological sovereignty and new growth, and 1.4 trillion won in fostering corporate innovation.’,
,
, ‘Defense spending was set at 3.1 trillion won, an increase of about 300 billion won, and disaster and safety budget was set at 2.1 trillion won.’,
,
, ‘The ‘2025 Budget Proposal and Fund Management Plan’, approved by the Cabinet on August 27, will be submitted to the National Assembly on September 2, and it is expected to be reviewed and finalized through regular parliamentary sessions, with preliminary reviews in standing committees and final deliberations and resolutions in the main session.\n’]