Korea to invest $5.8 bil. in semiconductor, AI, battery technologies

Park In-kyu, the Ministry of Science and ICT’s head of science, technology and innovation, speaks during a meeting of the Special Committee on the National Strategic Technology in central Seoul, Friday. Courtesy of Ministry of Science and ICT

The government will invest about 8.6 trillion won ($5.77 billion) this year to accelerate development across various fields, including semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI), shipbuilding, energy and batteries, as it moves to strengthen Korea’s technological sovereignty and respond to intensifying global competition.

The Ministry of Science and ICT announced Friday that the joint public-private Special Committee on the National Strategic Technology approved the 2026 implementation plan, mobilizing 23 ministries to coordinate research funding, policy tools and financial support.

The plan is part of the government’s five-year national strategy for strategic technologies from 2024 through 2028, aimed at securing critical capabilities that are considered essential to national security and industrial growth.

As part of the plan, the government has ramped up national strategic technology research and development (R&D) spending by 30 percent from last year to 8.6 trillion won in 2026. The fund will support coordinated government programs covering 513 designated technologies, which the government has grouped into 19 fields.

The priority areas include semiconductors, AI and software, telecommunications, cybersecurity, biotech, robotics, aerospace, shipbuilding, batteries, nuclear, clean energy, defense and content-related technologies.

The fund will help promote researchers to launch startups and win public contracts so strategic technology R&D results can reach the market faster. It will expand support for high-potential startups in these fields by funding in-house R&D, overseas expansion and tailored assistance such as consulting and investor outreach.

The plan will also sharpen data-driven science and technology experts and roll out AI-related training programs, as well as programs that will help overseas researchers settle in Korea.

“Amid rising geopolitical tensions, strategic technologies have become core assets that determine a nation’s economy and security,” said Park In-kyu, the science ministry’s head of science, technology and innovation.

“The government will step up support for nurturing and securing national strategic technologies by breaking down barriers between ministries, and build an innovative ecosystem for strategic technologies that can deliver results quickly and help our country navigate the global race for technological supremacy.”

A National Forensic Service official demonstrates an artificial intelligence-powered deepfake detecting program at Government Complex Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap

The second pillar of the new plan focuses on enhancing technology security in response to rapidly changing geopolitical and industrial dynamics. It plans to overhaul the current strategic technology framework in the first half of 2026, aligning it with new AI-driven trade and security priorities.

The revision will also streamline government R&D procedures by eliminating preliminary feasibility reviews for some programs and introducing a lighter up-front review for certain projects to enable faster, more efficient launches and funding.

The government also aims to strengthen technology security by deepening international cooperation while safeguarding critical capabilities, stepping up its participation in multilateral forums on strategic technologies such as AI, semiconductors and quantum computing to help shape global standards and norms.

At the same time, it plans to expand international joint research through global research hubs, including the Global AI Frontier Lab, and strengthen partnerships with key countries.

The plan's third pillar introduces mission-oriented programs — NEXT projects — that link together technology development, policy tools and investment to tackle national missions. These initiatives will be backed by a closer public-private partnership framework and reforms to the research management system, which will allow scientists to focus more on delivering tangible outcomes.