The South Korean government plans to collaborate with enterprises to invest over KRW3.0 trillion (US$2.3 billion) in the field of quantum science and technology by 2035, aiming to boost its quantum technology level from the current 62.5% to 85% of the US and rank among the world's top-4 quantum powers with a global market share of 10% by that year.
According to reports by the Korea Economic Daily, ET News and other Korean media outlets, the country's Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) has released the "Republic of Korea Quantum Science and Technology Strategy," under which the government will funnel KRW2.4 trillion into quantum technology development by 2035, while industry players will invest KRW600 billion by 2027 and then scale up their investment beyond 2028 based on the pace of technological development and business environment.
This marks South Korea's first national strategy specifically targeting quantum technology. To support this effort, the South Korean government will expand the cultivation of doctoral-level core quantum researchers from the current number of 384 to 2,500 by 2035, while researchers with bachelor and master degrees will increase from 1,000 to 10,000.
Furthermore, the MSIT has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for professional talent development cooperation with the world's major quantum-related players IBM and IonQ, which will enable local doctoral students and industry workers to access professional resources and experiential training from both partners.
South Korea currently commands only a 1.8% share of the global quantum market, ranking 10th, and its goal is to raise the share to 10% and leap to the fourth place by 2035 through the quantum development initiative. In line with the goal, the government plans to sharply increase from 80 to 1,200 the number of Korean companies engaged in supplying or adopting quantum technologies. It will also promote, in stages, the commercialization of quantum computers with over 1,000qubits, quantum national communications, quantum networks, and quantum sensors.
Industry players in South Korea regard quantum as an important future technology, and are actively proceeding with R&D efforts for various quantum applications. Hyundai Motor, for instance, has been utilizing quantum computers since April 2023 to search for catalyst materials for hydrogen fuel cells, aiming to replace the expensive platinum catalysts currently used in hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (FCEVs).
LG Electronics is utilizing quantum computers to research new materials for blue OLED displays and cluster robot navigation. SK Telecom (SKT) has successfully developed a quantum cryptographic chip that integrates quantum random number generation and secure communication functions. Posco Holdings, a steelmaker, is applying quantum computing to its R&D of rechargeable battery materials.
Meanwhile, quantum technology has also garnered significant attention from semiconductor players, as the quantum tunneling effect generated in the development of manufacturing processes can hinder the upgrades of chip fabrication processes. Samsung Electronics is joining forces with the Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology, the Samsung Future Technology Cultivation Foundation, and Kyungpook University to develop technologies that can overcome the quantum tunneling effect.
Article translated by Willis Ke
