Working Towards the Transfer of Compilation of R&D Budget to MST

A plan to transfer the right of compilation of Korea’s Research and Development (R&D) budget from the Ministry of Planning and Budget (MPB) to the Ministry of Science and Technology (MST) is actively under way. To spark the public’s interest in science technology, a public relations campaign is on schedule as well.

Minister Oh Myung of MST had reported to the president in Cheong Wa Dae yesterday of this year`s project plan which is centered around this scheme.

To plan and adjust the overall science technology policy, MST decided to present the appropriate 2005 R&D budget and delibarate opinion of each plan to MPB for now.

Next year, MST plans to receive the total R&D budget and directly regulate it. Afterwards, it aims to secure the right of compilation of the budget.

However, the R&D project of machine, electronic, and avian technology will be transferred to Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy (MCIE) and information and communication technology will be passed on to Ministry of Information and Communication (MIC), all of which were under MST’s support.

MST decided to initiate a public movement called “Science Korea” this year to elevate the interest and understanding of science technology.

Detailed plans for this include: inaugurating an aid’s association for the Nobel Science Prize, expanding the science experiencing place, insuring science related mediums (for example constructing TVs specialized for science technology), and developing contents and inaugurating Science Korea as a public movement.

MST included producing Korea’s first astronaut in its Science Korea campaign but was reserved due to Roh’s criticism that it can be seen as a “display administration”. For the plan concerning producing science technology brainstorms, MST announced the creation of 10,000 jobs for those with M.A. degrees and PhDs in science and engineering by 2007.

For this, MST decided to initiate the “Scientist and Engineer Employment System,” where people who have studied science or engineering will fulfill a certain percentage of the new employees, in the 26 government funded organizations and other government presented research centers from this year. Furthermore, MST will increase the percentage of engineers to 50 percent of Class 5 civil servants by 2013 and is planning to employ 26.8 percent this year.

President Roh, after hearing MST’s project plan, said, “MST has to have a wide vision of a planning and regulating ministry in order to see the science technology industry coupled with its human resource policy.” He added, “Please generalize MCIE and MIC’s policies.”

Roh, stressed the fact that core researchers are important, but industrial workers cannot be forgotten too and thus MST should not rest on research centers, but should also look over industry site’s renovating area.

At the end Roh, asked MST to be the core of marketing the research centers’ domestic promotion which is decentralized.

Ki-Jeong Ko Young-Hae Choi koh@donga.com yhchoi65@donga.com