South Korea Commits 200 Trillion Won to R&D, Quantum Listed as Strategic Tech

Insider Brief

• South Korea will make quantum technologies one of 10 national strategic technology areas under a five-year science and technology plan that commits more than 200 trillion won to government R&D through 2030.
• The Ministry of Science and ICT said 60 trillion won will be directed toward 55 technologies across fields including quantum, artificial intelligence, semiconductors and advanced biotechnology.
• The plan also calls for stronger national AI infrastructure, 6G development, semiconductor clusters and R&D special zones to support deep-tech commercialization.
• Image: Photo by KINNYtv on Pixabay

South Korea will make quantum technologies one of the country’s core national research priorities under a five-year science and technology plan that commits more than 200 trillion won to government research and development through 2030.

The Ministry of Science and ICT said June 26 that the government finalized the Sixth Basic Plan for Science and Technology after deliberation by the National Science and Technology Advisory Council, according to DongA Science. The plan covers 2026 through 2030 and serves as South Korea’s top-level blueprint for science and technology policy, R&D investment and evaluation.

According to the article, of the more than 200 trillion won in planned government R&D spending, 60 trillion won will be directed toward 55 technologies across 10 national strategic technology fields. Those fields include artificial intelligence, semiconductors, advanced biotechnology and quantum technologies.

The document does not break out a specific quantum-only budget in the material reported by DongA Science. But its inclusion of quantum among the country’s 10 strategic technology areas signals that South Korea is treating the field as part of its long-term economic and national-security agenda, rather than as a narrow research program.

“The next five years will be a critical period that will determine the next 30 years of Korea’s future,” said Baek Kyung-hoon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and ICT, according to DongA Science. “We will ensure that the relevant ministries, the private sector, and local governments work as one team so that Korea becomes a strong nation that does not waver in the face of changes in the external environment and supply chain issues. In particular, we will strive to ensure that all citizens can benefit from the achievements of science and technology.”

Quantum Push

South Korea’s plan places quantum in a wider industrial strategy built around advanced computing, chips, communications and regional technology hubs. Quantum systems depend on many of the same assets the country is already trying to strengthen, such as high-end semiconductors, advanced materials, cryogenic engineering, photonics, precision manufacturing and large-scale computing infrastructure.

According to the ministry’s plan, the government will strengthen national AI infrastructure, including the sixth national supercomputer and the National AI Computing Center. It will also support technology development aimed at commercializing 6G around 2030. Those programs are not quantum-specific, but they could form part of the broader computing and communications base needed for future quantum networks and hybrid quantum-classical systems.

South Korea has already identified semiconductors as a central growth engine. The new basic plan calls for ultra-high-efficiency, low-power semiconductor technologies and support for semiconductor clusters, including sites, power supply and water resources. For quantum, that industrial base could be important because many quantum hardware approaches require specialized chips, control electronics, fabrication facilities and tightly integrated supply chains.

National Strategy

The Sixth Basic Plan sets the vision of creating “new growth” through science and technology innovation and what the government describes as an AI-driven transformation. It identifies four main strategies: science and technology innovation systems, AI-driven transformation, technology-led growth and inclusive growth.

The plan also seeks to reorganize the way South Korea manages public research. The government said it will build a coherent national policy and investment system centered on the deputy prime minister for science and technology. Government-funded research institutes will move toward a mission-oriented performance system, following the abolition of the project-based system, or PBS, that had long shaped how public research funding was allocated.

Because quantum technologies often require long development timelines, expensive equipment and coordination among universities, national labs, startups and large companies, a mission-oriented model could help direct resources toward specific national goals, such as quantum computing hardware, secure communications or quantum sensing, rather than leaving work scattered across smaller projects.

The government also plans to introduce more customized support for companies, including investment-type R&D that allows performance recovery and reinvestment. That could help deep-tech startups and industrial firms working in fields such as quantum hardware, components and enabling software, where products often require years of development before reaching commercial scale.

Regional and Commercial Goals

The plan also expands block-funding type regional autonomous R&D to strengthen regional innovation. The government said it will designate key industries for five major regions and three special regions, select priority technologies for local governments and promote hubs tied to regional industries, including AI transformation and renewable energy.

That regional strategy may shape where quantum and other advanced technologies are developed and commercialized. South Korea’s R&D special zones are expected to play a larger role under a separate five-year plan approved at the same meeting. According to DongA Science, the Fifth Comprehensive Plan for the Development of Research and Development Special Zones will focus on creating and growing deep-tech companies, advancing growth ecosystems and driving innovation in the zones.

The government said it wants the special zones to become hubs for deep-tech companies based on public technologies. That model is relevant for quantum because much of the field begins in public research labs and university groups before moving into startups or industrial partnerships.

The basic plan also includes broader social and economic goals. The government expects to raise the AI service experience rate from 44.5% to more than 70% and increase total sales of R&D special zones from 85 trillion won to more than 150 trillion won. It also aims to use science and technology to support digital health care, elderly care and mental health, while raising healthy life expectancy from 65.5 years to more than 70 years.

The next major step will be the Second Mid- to Long-Term National R&D Investment Strategy, which is expected to translate the basic plan into budget decisions. The government also approved the 2027 budget allocation and adjustment plan for national R&D projects, but said it would not disclose the details yet because further discussions are needed before finalization.