On the 12th, the South Korean government announced its "7 Major Seed" technology strategic plan, focusing on seven cutting-edge fields including nuclear fusion, quantum technology, aerospace and space, advanced biotechnology, among others, and aiming to achieve an independent lunar landing by the end of 2030.
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung pointed out that South Korea must develop a new generation of economic growth engines beyond semiconductors and artificial intelligence (AI).
At a meeting on the "7 Major Seed" technology plan hosted at the Blue House, Lee Jae-myung said that these seven technologies would become the next generation growth engines for the South Korean economy.
Minister of Science and ICT Bae Kyung-hoon stated that the "7 Major Seed" technologies cover Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), nuclear fusion, next-generation renewable energy, quantum technology, aerospace and aviation, advanced biotechnology, as well as key minerals and materials supply chains.
Bae Kyung-hoon said that the authorities would support the growth of the "7 Major Seed" plan, aiming to build a South Korea that is unrivaled in 10 or 20 years. The plan's goals include achieving commercial deployment of domestic SMRs by 2035 and developing nuclear fusion power generation by the end of the 2030s. Regarding renewable energy, the government will focus on the development of ultra-high-efficiency solar cells, advanced offshore wind technology, hydrogen production systems, and AI-based grid technologies.
In the field of quantum technology, the goal is to develop a domestic 100-qubit error-corrected quantum processor by 2029 and become a world-leading quantum chip manufacturing nation by 2035.
In the space sector, South Korea aims to achieve a lunar landing by 2030, launch a second lunar lander in 2032, and build an independent low-Earth-orbit satellite communication network by 2035.
In addition, South Korea plans to establish AI bio-infrastructure by 2030 to support AI-driven new drug research and advanced gene and cell therapies, and to commercialize brain-computer interface (BCI) products by 2035.