Putting Emphasis on Boosting Economy Vitality Tangible results from upgrading the Ministry to the level of Deputy Prime Minister As of April 18, six months have passed since the position of Ministry of Science and Technology was upgraded to the level of Deputy Prime Minister and the Headquarters of Science and Technology Innovation has been launched. In spite of the short period of time, tangible results are already being detected. While an overall systematic foundation including policy regulation for science and technology innovation is constructed, pan-ministerial cooperation and co-ordination is taking place in the interim. Moreover, April 21 marked the 38th Anniversary of Science Day and the cience Korea Movement private initiative is moving briskly forward. Dr. Oh Myung, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and Technology, says in a special exclusive interview with The Korea IT Times, oday, it is only possible to make progress in any field by joining hands with science technology.

Dr. Oh Myung, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and Technology

During the interview, the Deputy Prime Minister emphasized especially the connection between science and art indicating that science and art are getting combined nowadays. He further explains that in the past, a scientist was often an artist as in the case of Leonardo da Vinci. He also accentuated the significance of IT noting that the technology is literally biquitous in these days. Dr. Oh stresses that mutual cooperation with the MIC (Ministry of Information Communication) is more important than ever since there are many pending problems such as achieving the goal of 5% economic growth and creating 400,000 jobs that should be accomplished through concentrating national capabilities. He as well stated MOST would strive to foster biotechnology (BT) as a core national growth engine for the next-generation industry post IT by intensively strengthening its competitiveness. Because the ministry assumes the responsibility not only for solutions of the present economic conditions but also the future of the country. To hear the Ministry plans for the solutions of the questions of the day at first hand, The Korea IT Times met with the Deputy Prime Minister at his office in the Government Complex-Gwacheon. Q: The government seems to have many priorities in hand this year such as re-injecting vitality into the economy to boost economic growth and job creation. First off, what MOST program to address these issues A: As you said, MOST will strive to create a next-generation growth engine to help resolve the pressing issues of the day that you referred to, and enhance the rate that we commercialize national R&D projects. First, with a view to making market inroads with these projects up to 2008, our Ministry will develop core technology of 39 leading-edge products such as household service robots. Wee aiming to demonstrate tangible performance in the goals that MOST has set; that is, in the development programs for 7 pilot products wee working on as part of our next-generation growth engine project and in launching 8 kinds of pilot services over this year. We have some 10 projects where we are in the stage of completing the necessary technological development such as UTM (Urban Transit Maglev) and SMART (System-Integrated Modular Advanced Reactor). MOST will focus upon those projects in the second half of the year by means of a feasible study that will decide where the immediate attention should go. Q: You said that along with the solution of the economic issues of the day, MOST also is the ministry responsible for the future of the country. What plans does MOST have for creating promising new industries of the future and for building national technological competitiveness to world-class levels A: In the knowledge-based society in which we live, technological innovation stands as the driving force that decides the growth potential of a nation. Accordingly, it is emerging as a very important task to develop core technologies to tally with the direction of the technological development and to gain the world most advanced level of technological competitiveness. In connection with this, I believe that Korea must embark upon such challenging core fields as BT, NT, ST and so on, through which the creation of promising new industries of the future is possible. For the purpose, the government plans to develop core technological engines, which can play a role as next-generation backbone industries and eventually assume the mantle presently worn by IT by intensively nurturing competitiveness in BT. In addition to this, MOST will nurture nano core technology with the goal of achieving a breakthrough to overcome the boundaries of established technology and exert ourselves to construct a common educational-industrial and research infrastructure. Q: To prepare for future growth it necessary to nurture core talent of world-class standing. With a view to fostering creative scientific technology, what projects is MOST working on this year Also, what plans do you have to operate KAIST as a leading model of science and engineering university reform A: Within this year, MOST will have a more systematic talent nurturing plan in place by establishing its asic plan (from 2006 to 2010) to develop science and engineering human resources. Along with this, our Ministry will introduce, step by step, a tailor-made educational model of academic/industrial cooperation such as the KAIST Northeast Asia technology management course to produce human resources corresponding to demand from industry. As of 2001, the number of university graduates Korea produces in the fields of science and engineering is much higher compared to advanced countries such as the U.S., Japan and Germany, with a annual rate of 1.8 graduates per 1,000 persons of the population. However, the demand for these graduates from industry and business is notably lacking, as may be witnessed by our high graduate unemployment rate. In that respect, Korea needs to introduce a customized model course that corporations and universities could operate jointly. As part of such strategies, MOST plans to operate KAIST as a leading model of science and engineering university reform while establishing the Northeast Asia technology management course in KAIST in the interests of science education corresponding to industrial on-the-spot demand in 2005. Q: The government has said it plans to nurture Daeduck R&D special zone as an innovation-based growth model. Please explain to our readers what concrete support will MOST offer to advance the Daeduck R&D special zone project and what societal impact do you feel it will have A: In order for the Daeduck R&D special zone to become a R&D-based innovation-based growth model, our ministry will not spare any effort to foster the best domestic business circumstances possible and construct a management and daily living environment for its personnel that would compare favorably to international standards. MOST will make every effort to foster a venture ecosystem of international level by supporting all fields effectively such as venture finance, cutting-edge technology, specialized human resources, management capacity, and multi-directional marketing. In addition to these efforts, MOST will foster a good business environment for foreign companies via a 50,000-pyong residential complex for the exclusive use of foreigners, winning Foreign Investment Zone designation, and installing a business ombudsman. Daeduck R&D special zone has the two twin goals of facilitating corporate activity and promoting the adoption on a national scale of a successful model of an innovation cluster. Q: Since the Ministry was upgraded to the level of Deputy Prime Minister six months ago, tell us what tangible results have been evident so far. A: First of all, MOST has established a national strategy to accomplish a per capita income level of US $20,000, and to develop next-generation growth engine businesses as well as large-scale national R&D commercial projects. Our ministry also is beefing up efforts to promote technological competitiveness and basic research in future core fields such as bio, nano and space technology and at the same time, has paved the way to facilitate the utilization of science and engineering personnel by operating programs such as cience Korea. The private-initiative cience Korea Movement is progressing at a brisk pace since its introduction last year, while at the same time MOST is hoping to launch its orea Space Boom program this year to promote development of the aerospace industry.