Why South Korea continues struggling to win Nobel Prize

October is the toughest month for South Korea’s scientific community. Each year, when Nobel Prize winners are announced, familiar questions resurface: “When will Korea win a science Nobel?” and “Why hasn’t it happened yet?” Self-deprecating comparisons to Japanese laureates often circulate, drawing only brief attention to science news. This short-lived focus underscores why Korea has yet to claim a Nobel Prize.

The Nobel Prize reflects both individual achievement and a society’s long-term commitment to basic science. Even when results are not immediately visible, only nations that consistently cultivate research can reach this level. In Korea, attention to science spikes in October, while the rest of the year largely overlooks research. Even during this brief focus, the emphasis often falls on short-term outcomes, treating research like a performance-driven project.

Amid fierce global competition for scientific talent, budget cuts in Korea have accelerated brain drain. A joint survey in May by this newspaper and the Korea Academy of Science and Technology found that 61.5% of 200 domestic science and engineering scholars received recruitment offers from abroad in the past five years, and 42% had accepted or were considering them. Respondents cited better research conditions, long-term support, and systems that allow for failure. Reports of prominent domestic scholars moving to China have continued recently.

The government has proposed a 19% increase in next year’s R&D budget, raising it to 35.3 trillion won. A public-private task force has been launched to retain domestic scientists, and new policies for science and engineering talent are expected. Restoring disrupted research and regaining talent will take time, and changing scientists’ perceptions will take even longer, as many view Korea as unsuitable for long-term research.

Cutting research funding and failing to retain talent while asking, “When will we win a Nobel Prize?” is hollow. If Korea truly seeks Nobel recognition, science must be supported year-round. The country needs systems that allow long-term research, a society that trusts scientists, and a commitment to science as a national priority rather than a political tool. Sustained effort, not fleeting attention, is the path to putting South Korean science at the global forefront.