Science and technology in South Korea

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Science and technology in South Korea has advanced throughout the decades. The advancement of science and technology has become an integral part of economic planning in South Korea. [1] Fast-growing industries have created a massive demand for new and more advanced technologies. [1] Additionally, Korean engineers and scientists propose that the advancement of science and technology in partnership with North Korea could help facilitate the peaceful reunification of North and South Korea. [2]

Contents

In the pursuit of advancement, South Korea has taken a centralized approach. [1] South Korea was ranked 5th in the Global Innovation Index in 2024. [3] As of 2022, South Korea has the sixth largest private investment in artificial intelligence. [4]

History

Korean Federation of Science and Technology Societies (KOFST)

The Korean Federation of Science and Technology Societies  [ ko ] was established in 1966 and consists of 780 organizations as of 2012. [2] The goals of the KOFST are to make the sharing of technology and research data between these societies easier and to encourage and facilitate the cooperation of Pacific Rim countries. [2]

Aerospace Engineering

A replica of the Naro-1 KSLV-1 Naro Replica.jpg
A replica of the Naro-1

South Korea has sent up 10 satellites from 1992, all using foreign rockets and overseas launch pads, notably Arirang-1 in 1999, and Arirang-2 in 2006 as part of its space partnership with Russia. [5] Arirang-1 was lost in space in 2008, after nine years in service. [6]

In April 2008, Yi So-yeon became the first Korean to fly in space, aboard the Russian Soyuz TMA-12. [7] [8]

In June 2009, the first spaceport of South Korea, Naro Space Center, was completed at Goheung, South Jeolla Province. [9] The launch of Naro-1 in August 2009 resulted in a failure. [10] The second attempt in June 2010 was also unsuccessful. [11] However, the third launch of the Naro 1 in January 2013 was successful. [12] The government plans to develop Naro-2 by the year 2018. [13]

Companies involved in the aerospace and defense markets of South Korea are primarily large multinational companies. [14] These large companies have been further strengthened by a push towards consolidation in the market. [14] This results in a difficulty for newer companies to enter the South Korean aerospace market. [14]

With the final successful launch of the Nuri, which South Korea launched for the third time in 2023, South Korea has become the seventh country in the world to have a medium-sized liquid-propellant rocket engine over 75 tons. [15]

Two years after South Korea officially expressed its intention to join Horizon Europe in 2022, South Korea and the European Union signed a Horizon Europe agreement, which is expected to allow Korea to participate in that from 2025. [16]

Defense Technology

Due to the growing perceived threat of North Korea, South Korea is increasing defense spending. [14] In 2019, South Korea is expected to increase spending by the largest amount in 11 years. [14]

Hanwha Techwin is a leading South Korean company manufacturing defense products, security devices, engines, digital solutions, and integrated control systems in South Korea. [14] Hanwha Techwin produces video recorders, surveillance software, access control products, and intelligent machinery and solutions. [14]

Biotechnology

Since the 1980s, the South Korean government has invested in the development of a domestic biotechnology industry, and the sector is projected to grow to $6.5 billion by 2010. [17] The medical sector accounts for a large part of the production, including production of hepatitis vaccines and antibiotics.

Recently, research and development in genetics and cloning has received increasing attention, with the first successful cloning of a dog, Snuppy (in 2005), and the cloning of two females of an endangered species of wolves by the Seoul National University in 2007. [18]

The rapid growth of the industry has resulted in significant voids in regulation of ethics, as was highlighted by the scientific misconduct case involving Hwang Woo-Suk. [19]

Robotics

Airport cleaning robot by LG LG robos, eobgye ceos dijain 'daetongryeongsang' susang (38935639932).jpg
Airport cleaning robot by LG

Robotics has been included in the list of main national R&D projects in South Korea since 2003. [20] In 2009, the government announced plans to build robot-themed parks in Incheon and Masan with a mix of public and private funding. [21]

In 2005, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) developed the world's second walking humanoid robot, HUBO. A team in the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology developed the first South Korean android, EveR-1 in May 2006. [22] EveR-1 has been succeeded by more complex models with improved movement and vision. [23] [24]

Plans of creating English-teaching robot assistants to compensate for the shortage of teachers were announced in February 2010, with the robots being deployed to most preschools and kindergartens by 2013. [25] Robotics are also incorporated in the entertainment sector as well; the Korean Robot Game Festival has been held every year since 2004 to promote science and robot technology. [26]

International Science Olympiads

Performance of South Korean students in International Science Olympiads

Cooperation with other countries

European Union

South Korea is the first country in Asia to participate in Horizon Europe, the world's largest multilateral research and innovation program. [27]

See also

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">HUBO</span> South Korean humanoid robot

HUBO is a walking humanoid robot, head mounted on a life-size walking bipedal frame, developed by the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and released on January 6, 2005. According to Hubo's creator Prof Jun-Ho Oh and his Plenary Session at ICRA 2012 entitled Development Outline of the Humanoid Robot: HUBO II the name Hubo is simply a name, not an abbreviation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Korea Aerospace Research Institute</span> South Korean space agency

The Korea Aerospace Research Institute, established in 1989, is the aeronautics and space agency of South Korea. Its main laboratories are located in Daejeon, in the Daedeok Science Town. KARI's vision is to continue building upon indigenous launch capabilities, strengthen national safety and public service, industrialize satellite information and applications technology, explore the Moon, and develop environmentally-friendly and highly-efficient cutting-edge aircraft and core aerospace technology. Current projects include the KSLV-2 launcher. Past projects include the 1999 Arirang-1 satellite. The agency was founded in 1989. Prior to South Korea's entry into the Institute for Advanced Engineering (IAE) in 1992, it focused primarily on aerospace technology. As of May 2024, KARI is an affiliated research institute of the Korea AeroSpace Administration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naro-1</span> South Koreas first carrier rocket, used from 2009 to 2013

Naro-1, previously designated the Korea Space Launch Vehicle or KSLV, was South Korea's first carrier rocket, and the first South Korean launch vehicle to achieve Earth orbit. On January 30, 2013, the third Naro-1 vehicle built successfully placed STSAT-2C into low Earth orbit.

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Hanwha Vision, founded as Samsung Techwin, is a video surveillance company. It is a subsidiary of Hanwha Group. The company employs 1,822 people and is headquartered in South Korea. Its total sales in 2020 were 529.8 billion South Korean won.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naro Space Center</span> South Korean spaceport in South Jeolla

The Naro Space Center is a South Korean spaceport in South Jeolla's Goheung County, operated by the state-run Korea Aerospace Research Institute.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of science and technology in Korea</span>

Like most other regions in the world, science and technology in Korea has experienced periods of intense growth as well as long periods of stagnation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KOMPSAT-2</span> South Korean multipurpose Earth observation satellite

KOMPSAT-2, also known as Arirang-2, is a South Korean multipurpose Earth observation satellite. It was launched from Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russia at 07:45:43 UTC on 28 July 2006. It began to transmit signals at 14:00 UTC the same day. Like the earlier KOMPSAT-1 satellite, it takes its name from the popular Korean folk song Arirang. Its launch was the culmination of a project begun in 1995.

The SGR-A1 is a type of autonomous sentry gun that was jointly developed by Samsung Techwin and Korea University to assist South Korean troops in the Korean Demilitarized Zone. It is widely considered as the first unit of its kind to have an integrated system that includes surveillance, tracking, firing, and voice recognition. While units of the SGR-A1 have been reportedly deployed, their number is unknown due to the project being "highly classified".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">STSat-2A</span> South Korean satellite

STSat-2A was a satellite launched by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI), the national space agency of South Korea, from the Naro Space Center in Goheung County, South Jeolla using the Naro-1 (KSLV-1) launch vehicle.

STSat-2B, or Science and Technology Satellite-2B, was a South Korean satellite which was lost in the failure of the second flight of the Naro-1 launch vehicle. It was to have been operated by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI), and was intended to demonstrate technology for future spacecraft. The satellite had a mass of 100 kg (220 lb), and was expected to operate for at least two years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nuri (rocket)</span> First South Korean orbital launch vehicle developed domestically

Nuri, also known as KSLV-II, is a three-stage launch vehicle, the second one developed by South Korea and the successor to Naro-1 (KSLV-1). Nuri is developed by Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI). All three stages use indigenously developed launch vehicle engines, making Nuri the first indigenously developed South Korean orbital launch vehicle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hanwha Group</span> South Korean conglomerate

Hanwha Group is a large business conglomerate (chaebol) in South Korea. Founded in 1952 as Korea Explosives Co., the group has grown into a large multi-profile business conglomerate, with diversified holdings stretching from explosives—their original business—to energy, materials, aerospace, mechatronics, finance, retail, and lifestyle services. In 1992, the company adopted its abbreviation as its new name: "Hanwha".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">STSat-2C</span> South Korean satellite

STSat-2C, or Science and Technology Satellite-2C, or Naro Science Satellite (ko:나로과학위성) was a South Korean satellite which was launched in 2013. It was operated by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI), and was intended to demonstrate technology for future spacecraft. The satellite had a mass of 100 kg (220 lb), and was expected to operate for less than a year.

Seung Jo Kim is a South Korean aerospace engineer. He has been the current President of Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) since June 2011, where most of the national aerospace systems like aircraft, satellites and rockets are developed. During his tenure, Kim led the development of smart Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the launch of KOMPSAT-3, KOMPSAT-5, STSat-3 and the first Korean space launch vehicle, Naro-1. Before becoming president of KARI, Kim had been a professor of the Engineering College at Seoul National University since 1986. He chaired the KSAS in 2009, the KSCM from 2005 to 2006, and the KSIAM from 2004 to 2008. He was also head of the New Aerospace Technology Research Institute from 2001 to 2003. Kim has been a fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) since 2010 and the Institute of Physics since 2004.

Hanson Robotics Limited is a Hong Kong–based engineering and robotics company founded by David Hanson, known for its development of human-like robots with artificial intelligence (AI) for consumer, entertainment, service, healthcare, and research applications. The robots include Albert HUBO, the first walking robot with human-like expressions; BINA48, an interactive humanoid robot bust; and Sophia, the world's first robot citizen. The company has 45 employees.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hanwha Aerospace</span> South Korean defence company

Hanwha Aerospace Co., Ltd., formerly Hanwha Techwin Co Ltd, is a subsidiary of Hanwha Group, is an aerospace industrial company headquartered in Changwon, South Korea. It was established in 1977 as Samsung Precision. The company is Korea's only gas turbine engine manufacturer, and specializes in the development, production and maintenance of aircraft engines. In 1979, it started the aircraft engine business with gas turbine engine depot maintenance business, providing various gas turbine solutions to Korea and all over the world and by 2016 the company had produced more than 8,000 pieces of equipment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Korean Air KUS-FS</span> South Korean unmanned aerial vehicle

The Korean Air KUS-FS is a medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle developed by the Agency for Defense Development (ADD) and Korean Air Aerospace Division (KAL-ASD). Development started in 2008, with its first flight occurring in 2012 and development concluding in March 2022. It was developed for the South Korean Air Force's Group 5 UAV system. Previously known as the MUAV, the KUS-FS is in the same class as the US-built General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper UAV.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Korean robotics</span>

South Korea is one of the leading countries in the use of industrial robots worldwide, with the International Federation of Robotics listing it as having the world's second most automated manufacturing industry in 2019. The country's robot industry has grown from ₩6.29 trillion in 2016 to ₩9.18 trillion in 2020.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Arnold, Walter (April 1988). "Science and Technology Development in Taiwan and South Korea". Asian Survey. 28 (4): 437–450. doi:10.2307/2644737. JSTOR   2644737.
  2. 1 2 3 Sung, Nack-Chung; Chung, Yong Seung (December 6, 1996). "S&T in South Korea". Science. 274 (5293). American Association for the Advancement of Science: 1591. doi: 10.1126/science.274.5293.1591 . S2CID   167778225 – via Gale Academic.
  3. ↑ World Intellectual Property Organization (2024). Global Innovation Index 2024. Unlocking the Promise of Social Entrepreneurship. Geneva. p. 18. doi:10.34667/tind.50062. ISBN   978-92-805-3681-2 . Retrieved 2024-10-22.{{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  4. ↑ "India ranks 5th in countries with most AI investment". Adda 24/7. April 13, 2023.
  5. ↑ "Korea, Russia Enter Full-Fledged Space Partnership". Defence Talk. July 5, 2007. Retrieved June 7, 2013.
  6. ↑ South Korea Confirms Contact With Satellite Lost, Space Daily, January 7, 2008. Retrieved July 15, 2010.
  7. ↑ "Scientist Yi So Yeon becomes first Korean astronaut", The Times (London), April 9, 2008
  8. ↑ "First S Korean astronaut launches". BBC News (April 8, 2008). Retrieved April 17, 2015.
  9. ↑ "S. Korea Completes Work on Naro Space Center" Archived April 17, 2015, at the Wayback Machine , The Korea Times (Seoul), June 10, 2009. Retrieved July 15, 2010.
  10. ↑ "S. Korean satellite lost shortly after launch". Yonhap. August 26, 2009. Retrieved August 10, 2013.
  11. ↑ "Global Insider: South Korea's Space Program". Worldpoliticsreview.com. June 29, 2010. Retrieved August 10, 2013.
  12. ↑ Chris Bergin (January 30, 2013). "South Korea launch STSAT-2C via KSLV-1". NASASpaceFlight.com. Retrieved March 8, 2013.
  13. ↑ "Naro-1 explodes after takeoff", Joongang Daily (Seoul), June 11, 2010. Retrieved July 15, 2010.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Hoffman, Marci (ed.). "South Korea - Defense & National Security". Foreign Law Guide. Brill. doi:10.1163/2213-2996_flg_com_111032h.
  15. ↑ "Nuri, the Korea launch vehicle". KARI.
  16. ↑ "South Korea joins EU's research programme Horizon Europe". Chemistry World . March 27, 2024.
  17. ↑ "Bio International Convention Korea Country Profile" (PDF). Bio2008.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 17, 2011. Retrieved October 29, 2010.
  18. ↑ AFP. "Discovery Channel :: News – Animals :: Endangered Wolf Cloned in South Korea". Dsc.discovery.com. Archived from the original on January 9, 2010. Retrieved April 25, 2010.
  19. ↑ "Biotechnology" (PDF). Retrieved April 25, 2010.
  20. ↑ Special Report: [Business Opportunities] R&D Archived April 29, 2011, at the Wayback Machine . Ministry of Knowledge Economy, September 3, 2007. Retrieved July 15, 2009.
  21. ↑ "Robot parks, a world first". JoongAng Daily , February 13, 2009. Retrieved July 15, 2009.
  22. ↑ Android Has Human-Like Skin and Expressions, Live Science, May 8, 2006. Retrieved July 15, 2009.
  23. ↑ "Female Android Debuts in S. Korea, National Geographic, May 15, 2006". National Geographic. October 28, 2010. Archived from the original on June 3, 2006. Retrieved August 10, 2013.
  24. ↑ "EveR-3, Yonhap News, April 20, 2009" (in Korean). Naver News. April 20, 2009. Retrieved August 10, 2013.
  25. ↑ South Korean Robot English Teachers Are Go, Popular Science, February 24, 2010. Retrieved July 15, 2010.
  26. ↑ Korean Robot Game Festival Archived May 14, 2011, at the Wayback Machine , Official Site
  27. ↑ "South Korea first in Asia to join 'Horizon Europe', EU's research and innovation program". The Chosun Daily . March 26, 2024.
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