Korea Ranks 5th Globally in Technological Innovation Capability... The Reality of Technological Strength [Tech War, The Birth of Advanced Nations]

①Current Status of Korean Technology
Korea Ranks 5th Globally in Technological Innovation Capability, but 38th in Paper Citations
Most Research Follows Advanced Countries...Not Recognized as Leading Studies
Scores Below Average in National Competitiveness Indicators

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Sun-mi] The Korean-type launch vehicle 'Nuriho,' developed purely with domestic technology, will attempt its second launch at 4 p.m. on the 15th. Even in the aerospace industry, which Korea entered late, this event proves that Korea can now follow the path of leading technological countries with its own technology. However, even if the launch succeeds, whether Korea qualifies as a leading country in various industrial fields remains another issue. Major indicators that reveal the level of advanced technology clearly expose the gap between Korea and countries setting new technological standards in each industry.

◆Current Status of Korean Technological Capability= Korea's scientific and technological innovation capacity ranks 5th among 36 evaluated countries, indicating a high level. According to the Korea Institute of S&T Evaluation and Planning (KISTEP), Korea's Science and Technology Innovation Capacity Index (COSTII) recorded 12.66 last year, ranking 5th worldwide, surpassing the OECD average of 9.95. Currently, COSTII is the only composite index evaluation model that allows comparison of scientific and technological innovation capacities by country, showing a nation's ability to produce economically and socially valuable outcomes through innovation and improvement in science and technology fields at the final stage.

The achievements in Korea's technological development are also evident in other evaluations. According to statistics from the Ministry of Science and ICT, Korea had few papers published in international academic journals until the early 1990s, but the number has increased significantly every year, reaching the 12th position globally today. The number of Korean scientific and technological papers published was 76,408 in 2020, an increase of over 65% compared to 46,290 in 2011. Particularly, the number of Korean papers published in the three major international journals?Nature, Cell, and Science?has been steadily increasing. In 2011, only 40 Korean papers were published in these three journals, but by 2020, the number had more than doubled to 90.

However, there is abundant evidence that Korea's advanced technology is only at the 'peak' level of catching up with leading countries and has not surpassed them. A clear example is the significantly insufficient number of citations per academic paper. Based on citation counts, which indicate the qualitative level of papers, Korea's average citations per paper from 2016 to 2020 were only 7.57, ranking 36th out of 48 countries and regions surveyed, placing it in the lower tier.

Professor Lee Jung-dong of Seoul National University explained in his book "The First Question" that "This means that although a lot of research is conducted, most of it is follow-up development or improvement of advanced countries' research, so it is not referenced as pioneering work in a field." He added, "It can be considered a success in catching up but is not recognized as leading research." Korea's global market share of scientific papers was also about 3.45% in 2020, showing little increase from 3.21% in 2011.

On the 9th, 'Semicon Korea 2022' was held at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. This event, where over 500 semiconductor companies from around the world showcase the latest semiconductor technologies, will continue until the 11th. / Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

◆23rd in National Competitiveness... Weaknesses in Technological Competitiveness= According to the Swiss International Institute for Management Development (IMD), Korea ranked 23rd out of 64 participating countries in national competitiveness last year. Among these, Korea ranked 2nd in scientific competitiveness and 17th in technological competitiveness.

However, detailed indicators that represent competitiveness reveal Korea's weaknesses clearly. Korea ranks high in the proportion of high-tech products in manufacturing exports (7th), number of mobile broadband subscribers (12th), and the degree to which communication technology meets corporate demands (12th). On the other hand, items that could enhance Korea's technological competitiveness in the future, such as sufficiency of technology development funds (34th), supply of skilled engineers (37th), support for technology development by public and private sector ventures (38th), and legal environment support for technology development and application (45th), received below-average scores.

The Yoon Seok-yeol administration is promoting the establishment of an 'economic security alliance' centered on technology and supply chain cooperation among major participating countries such as Korea, the U.S., and Japan, leveraging participation in the U.S.-led Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF). This is interpreted as the first step to complement weaknesses in technological competitiveness and qualify as a leading technological country. Especially, since the Biden administration is also pursuing restructuring advanced industry supply chains around allied countries, Korea is in a position to seize this opportunity through its alliance with the U.S.

The semiconductor sector is cited as the area where Korea can first stand out. Samsung Electronics holds an overwhelming global No. 1 position with its ultra-gap technology in the memory market and, along with Taiwan's TSMC, is one of the only companies capable of producing cutting-edge semiconductors using sub-10 nanometer (nm; 1 nm = one-billionth of a meter) fine process technology in the global foundry (semiconductor contract manufacturing) market. The World Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS) forecasts the overall semiconductor market growth rate this year at 16.3%, reaching $646.5 billion (approximately 811.6 trillion KRW), with the Asia-Pacific region, including Korea, expected to account for 60.4% of total semiconductor market sales.

However, experts agree that Korea must have irreplaceable technological capabilities to take a leading position in technological alliances. Cho Kyung-yeop, head of economic research at the Korea Economic Research Institute, emphasized, "To increase growth momentum through IPEF membership, measures to strengthen industrial competitiveness to replace China are necessary." He added, "Government financial and institutional support is needed, including expanding tax incentives for research and development (R&D) investment, increasing support for reshoring companies (with flexible types and methods of support), enhancing labor market flexibility, and easing regulations such as the Serious Accident Punishment Act."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.