Publication

Public Perceptions of Science and Technology versus Official Indicators

In an Institute for Reform poll (RIO 2026-04, September 11, 2026, n=964), 95.2% of respondents said science and technology will strongly affect the country, and 70.4% placed Korea's science and technology in the world's upper tier. Respondents who rated Korea's level high and those who rated it low both ranked expanding R&D investment first among policy tasks. Cross-checking the government's 2024 Technology Level Assessment against its published source, the report finds Korea's rating rose in all eleven fields yet ranked fourth or fifth among the five entities compared; of fifty national strategic technologies, the United States held the top position in 43, China in 8, and Korea in 3, and Korea's basic-research capability was rated ordinary. Korea's R&D spending relative to GDP is the world's second highest, but the government R&D budget swung from a cut in 2024 to steep consecutive increases. The report recommends official release of the assessment at the time of deliberation, parliamentary review of outcomes against inputs, and regular publication of researcher-workforce indicators.