Acting President Choi reiterates efforts to make Korea top 5 global bio leader
Acting President Choi Sang-mok, left, tours a pharmaceutical manufacturing facility located at the Osong bio cluster in North Chungcheong Province, Feb. 26. Yonhap
Acting President Choi Sang-mok on Wednesday reaffirmed the government's commitment to turning Korea into one of the world's top five leaders in the advanced bio sector, stressing the emerging sector is comparable in size to major industries combined.
"The global advanced bio industry was valued at $2 trillion, making it comparable in scale to the semiconductor, petrochemical and automobile industries combined," Choi said, also calling it a vast new frontier with "immense potential" across various sectors.
Choi made the remarks during his visit to the Osong bio cluster in central Korea, where he reviewed the progress of the national bio committee, launched in January, according to the finance ministry.
The committee aims to establish Korea as one of the world's top five bio industry leaders by 2035. It is responsible for developing strategies to foster the bio sector as a key driver of future economic growth.
Citing intensified global competition from major rivals, such as the United States and China, Choi emphasized the critical role of the committee in spearheading public-private cooperation.
He also highlighted the need for Korea to take the lead in the global contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) sector.
The committee has announced that it aims to expand the production capacity of domestic CDMOs by 2.5 times, with the goal of making Korea the global leader in CDMO sales by 2032. (Yonhap)