[2026 Parliamentary Audit] From Research Fund Misconduct Allegations to Gaming at Work and Hacking... Science and Technology Sector's Lax Discipline Under Scrutiny (Roundup)

Improper Spending of KRW 155 Million in Research Funds; IITP Data Leak Affects 12,939 People
Long-Term Basic Research Projects Make Up Just 1.2%... Concerns PBS Abolition Will Weaken Corporate Collaboration

Improper spending of research funds worth more than KRW 100 million was uncovered in a national research and development (R&D) project, while allegations surfaced at a research institute responsible for cybersecurity that employees played games during work hours and that an internal whistleblower was harassed.

At an agency overseeing national information and communications technology (ICT) research and development, a series of hacking incidents exposed gaps in its personal information protection system. As lapses in discipline in the science and technology community came under scrutiny at a parliamentary audit, concerns were also raised about a lack of support for long-term basic research and the potential decline in corporate partnerships following the abolition of the project-based system (PBS).

A file photo to help readers understand the story. Song Giheon, chair of the National Assembly's Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee, speaks with ruling party secretary Han Junho and opposition party secretary Choi Hyeongdu during a parliamentary audit held at the National Assembly in Yeouido on the 15th. Photo provided by Yonhap News Agency.

At a parliamentary audit by the National Assembly’s Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee held on October 20 at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) in Daejeon, Hwang Jeonga of the Democratic Party of Korea said that only three of the 24,389 R&D projects managed by the National Research Foundation of Korea last year had been found to involve research fund misconduct.

Citing allegations that a professor at Yonsei University College of Medicine misused research funds, Hwang claimed that an investigation by the foundation had identified approximately KRW 155 million in improper expenditures. She said there were 283 cases in which transaction statements submitted to claim research expenses did not match the actual statements, and that there was also evidence of research expense card payments being split into multiple transactions.

Allegations were also raised that the professor had harassed students who testified about the suspected misuse of research funds. Hwang questioned the university’s internal investigation and called for a thorough inquiry and strict measures.

Disciplinary issues at the National Security Research Institute also came under scrutiny. Hwang said that five employees repeatedly accessed the online game StarCraft server during work hours in 2024, and that while some employees logged more than 90 hours in total, the only disciplinary measure was a reprimand. She also called for an immediate investigation into allegations that a manager harassed a whistleblower after an internal report was filed. Kim Yeongsik, chair of the National Research Council of Science and Technology (NST), said he would review the matter closely.

Concerns were also raised about information security shortcomings at the Institute for Information & Communications Technology Planning & Evaluation (IITP), which oversees national ICT research and development. Lee Hungi of the Democratic Party of Korea said the IITP suffered a security incident last December and was hit by another hacking attack in July this year. In the second incident, the personal information of 12,939 people was leaked, including sensitive data such as resident registration numbers, bank account numbers and passwords, as well as names and addresses.

Lee criticized the fact that the July incident this year was caused by a firewall configuration error. He also noted that the IITP’s information security assessment rating had fallen from “Good” in 2024 to “Fair” last year, and called for improvements across its overall security management system. In response to the lawmaker’s questions about the personal information leak, the IITP replied in a way that acknowledged the facts of the case.

The IITP is a specialized agency that manages national ICT research and development projects worth approximately KRW 1.9 trillion. Lee criticized the repeated security incidents at an agency supporting research and development in nationally critical technologies, and called on it to prepare measures to prevent a recurrence and submit them to the National Assembly.

Hwang also noted that the maximum additional penalty for research fund misuse had been raised to 30 times the amount involved, and called for strict enforcement of the law. The Ministry of Science and ICT said it would strictly apply the amended system, which takes effect in March next year.

A humanoid robot from KAIST enters the parliamentary audit venue after being introduced by Hwang Jung-ah of the Democratic Party of Korea during an audit of 54 institutions, including the National Research Council of Science and Technology, the Korea Institute of Science and Technology and the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, by the National Assembly's Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee at KAIST in Daejeon on the 20th. Provided by Yonhap News.

Insufficient Long-Term Research for Nobel Prizes... Concerns Over Side Effects of PBS Abolition

Alongside concerns about discipline at research sites, lawmakers also pointed to weaknesses in the support system for long-term basic research.

Choi Hyeongdoo of the People Power Party presented data showing that long-term basic research projects account for only 1.2% of all domestic research projects, and stressed the need to move away from science administration focused on short-term results and management.

Choi said that science and technology had driven Korea’s industrial development since the establishment of the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), but that science and technology administration had gradually shifted from supporting research to focusing on management. Citing the fact that Korea had no Nobel laureate in a scientific field this year, as was also the case last year, he raised concerns about the weak foundation for long-term research.

He also presented comparative data showing that research grants in major advanced countries, including the United States, typically run for five to seven years and can last as long as 12 years. Choi said that an environment enabling researchers to work steadily over long periods provides a foundation for the basic research that can lead to Nobel Prizes and for the development of technologies that maintain a significant competitive edge.

“We can no longer continue this way,” Choi said, stressing that the government-funded research institutes should use the reform of the PBS as an opportunity to reestablish the basic direction of government support for science and technology. He also urged the heads of research institutes to create an environment where scientists can focus on research without the burden of administrative work.

Meanwhile, concerns were raised that collaboration between small and medium-sized enterprises and government-funded research institutes could decline after the abolition of the PBS.

Han Junho of the Democratic Party of Korea cited the results of a survey conducted by the Korea Industrial Technology Association last June, saying that 61.2% of researchers at government-funded research institutes expected corporate collaboration to decline after the PBS was abolished. Meanwhile, 77.2% of companies that had worked with government-funded research institutes said joint research had helped their research and development.

Son Unghui, president of the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology, acknowledged that “there is a prevailing concern that corporate collaboration could shrink.” Han cited the case of joint research projects at the Southeast Regional Division of the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials, which increased fivefold from six in 2023 to 30 last year. He stressed that measures should be put in place to ensure that technical support and joint research for local small and medium-sized enterprises do not decline after the PBS is abolished.

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