Concerns grow over gov't plan to cut R&D budget

President Yoon Suk Yeol listens to Minister of Science and ICT Lee Jong-ho's explanation about the Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter, or Danuri, before a Cabinet meeting at the presidential office in Seoul, Jan. 3. Korea Times file

By Park Jae-hyuk

Korea's state-sponsored scientific research activities are expected to suffer a major setback, as insufficient tax revenue has led the government to seek a sharp reduction in its R&D budget for next year, according to sources familiar with this issue, Friday.

On Wednesday, the Ministry of Science and ICT sent emails to research institutes that are under the supervision of the National Research Council of Science & Technology, notifying them that the government's funding for their research projects will be smaller than initially planned.

The Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) was informed of a 29 percent reduction in funding, while the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) was notified of a 23 percent cut.

The Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information (KISTI) and the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT) are each facing 28 percent reductions in their respective budgets for next year.

The Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI), which led the successful launch of domestically developed space rockets, was informed of a 23 percent cut in government funding.

The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and three other institutes of science and technology in Gwangju, Daegu and Ulsan are also subject to around 10 percent reductions.

In addition, the Korean Federation of Science and Technology Societies (KOFST) and other scientists' associations were informed that they may face up to 70 percent reductions in financial support from the government.

The notification was made after President Yoon Suk Yeol unexpectedly ordered Science Minister Lee Jong-ho to reconsider state-run R&D projects from scratch, during a meeting on national financial strategies on June 28.

His order came as a surprise at that time because he had emphasized the importance of scientific research activities for Korea's future.

During the meeting, Yoon coined the term “R&D cartel,” calling to root out groups that seek to protect their vested interests in the R&D sector. The president also abruptly ordered more collaboration with overseas science research institutes.

Following his orders, the science ministry rescinded its initial R&D budget for 2024, and asked state-run science research institutes to submit their plans for reduced budgets for next year.

In response, the institutes submitted their respective plans to reduce their spending by around 20 percent, despite protests from their employees.

“The government should stop persecuting diligent researchers in their fields and stigmatizing them as the main culprits of the 'R&D cartel,'” the Scientists and Engineers' Association of National Research Institutes said in a joint statement, July 21. “The institutes should also stop being hasty in following the president's abrupt order to increase collaborations with foreign researchers.”

The unions of state-run science research institutes also issued a statement, July 17, expressing concerns that most institutes will even face difficulties in maintaining their equipment.

“Most research projects modified after the budget cuts are expected to be shoddy,” Rep. Cho Seung-rae of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea said during a meeting with the unions, July 18.

Amid the growing concerns, the science ministry said the planned budget cuts had not been finalized, as it needs the Ministry of Economy and Finance's agreement and the National Assembly's approval.