President Lee Jae Myung (center) listens to a policy presentation by Deputy Prime Minister and Science and ICT Minister Bae Kyung-hoon during a briefing on the government's "seven seed technologies for future growth" initiative at Cheong Wa Dae on Wednesday. (Yonhap)President Lee Jae Myung on Wednesday pledged full government support for seven advanced technologies, describing them as the country's next "mega projects" that will drive economic growth and strengthen national competitiveness in the artificial intelligence era.
Speaking at a briefing on the government's "seven seed technologies for future growth" initiative at Cheong Wa Dae, Lee said the technologies would become both the country's next growth engines and core strategic national assets.
"The seeds of advanced technologies we plant today will one day grow into giant trees and become new mega projects," Lee said.
The meeting brought together around 60 government officials, researchers, entrepreneurs, venture capital investors and science and engineering students to discuss ways to foster seven strategic industries identified by the presidential office as key assets for South Korea's economy and national security.
The seven "seed technologies" are small modular reactors, nuclear fusion, renewable energy, quantum technology, aerospace, advanced biotechnology, and supply chains for critical minerals, materials, parts and equipment.
The initiative is designed to build the next generation of growth industries beyond the government's existing three mega projects centered on semiconductors, artificial intelligence and AI data centers. The presidential office said the meeting sought ways to support South Korea's AI transformation while securing and nurturing advanced technologies that will underpin the country's next phase of economic growth.
The government plans to group the seven sectors into three strategic pillars: future clean energy, consisting of SMRs, nuclear fusion and renewable energy; next-generation frontiers, comprising quantum technology, aerospace and advanced biotechnology; and advanced supply chains for critical minerals, materials, parts and equipment.
It also unveiled sector-specific road maps. The government aims to commercialize light-water SMRs by 2035 while beginning construction of non-light-water SMRs during the 2030s. It plans to generate electricity through nuclear fusion by the late 2030s, develop a domestically produced 100-qubit quantum processor by 2029, launch a privately led lunar lander by 2030 and establish an independent low-Earth-orbit satellite communications network by 2035. It also aims to commercialize brain-computer interface technology by 2035.
A central pillar of the initiative is public-private collaboration. For capital-intensive technologies such as non-light-water SMRs, fusion reactors, quantum chip foundries and gene and cell therapies, the government plans to establish jointly funded special purpose companies to support projects from research and development through commercialization, demonstration and regulatory reform.
The strategy also includes measures to overhaul South Korea's research ecosystem. Universities will receive block funding to support large-scale, long-term research, while government-funded research institutes will be transformed into organizations responsible for long-term national missions following the planned abolition of the Project-Based System.
To oversee implementation, the government will launch a public-private task force, headed by Deputy Prime Minister and Science and ICT Minister Bae Kyung-hoon, to coordinate the development of the "seven seed" technologies. Progress on sector-specific road maps will be reviewed regularly through ministerial meetings on science and technology policy.
Lee said the rapid pace of technological change makes it increasingly difficult to predict which industries will emerge as growth drivers.
"One common characteristic of cutting-edge technologies attracting attention today is that technological replacement cycles are becoming extremely fast," he said. "Individuals and countries alike will be left behind if they fail to keep up with change."
Pointing to semiconductors as an example, Lee said the industry had entered what he described as a structural boom after recently facing concerns over a prolonged downturn.
"We are living in an era of great transformation, where it is extremely difficult to predict which advanced technologies will emerge in the coming years or how the industrial landscape will change," he said.
Lee stressed that South Korea must capitalize on its strengths in semiconductors to prepare for the next stage of growth driven by AI.
"It is up to us whether we become a leader that enjoys limitless opportunities or a follower constantly exposed to the risk of being left behind," he said. "We must take advantage of the tremendous opportunity created by the semiconductor industry and prepare in advance for the next growth engine in the era of artificial intelligence."
Calling on researchers and innovators to lead the country's technological transformation, Lee urged participants to help South Korea evolve beyond being a semiconductor powerhouse into a global leader in advanced science, technology and talent.
"The government will provide firm support so that our innovative companies and scientists can freely pioneer new markets and boldly take on new challenges," he said.
Bae said he would personally oversee implementation of the initiative as head of the new task force.
"The mega projects and the seven seed projects will serve as twin engines that work independently and together to build an irreplaceable South Korea," he said.