South Korea deals with brain drain in science

Faced with a wave of talent leaving domestic universities and research institutes to go to the US, China, Singapore, etc., the government has introduced a series of comprehensive measures, from increasing research budgets to reforming the salary system and expanding visa policies.

The issue of “brain drain” was raised directly by South Korean President Lee Jae-myung during a Cabinet meeting in July. He warned that previous cuts in R&D (Research and Development) budgets had cost students and young researchers jobs, forcing them to seek opportunities abroad. This threatened the basic research ecosystem and severely weakened national competitiveness.

To address this, the Lee government has pledged to make R&D a top priority. The 2026 science and technology budget was announced at a record 35.3 trillion won, up nearly 20% from the previous year. This is seen as a strong reversal after a period of financial tightening.

According to data, in the period 2021 - 2025 alone, 56 professors from Seoul National University (SNU), the top university in Korea, moved to teach at international schools. Four leading science and technology institutes also recorded 18 lecturers quitting their jobs.

A report by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) points to a number of factors that have contributed to the situation. These include a closed seniority-based salary system, a lack of fair performance evaluation mechanisms, limited research infrastructure, and limited opportunities for international collaboration. In addition, the perception that working abroad brings greater prestige and rewards has also fueled the migration wave.

Against this backdrop, the government has set up a public-private task force, co-chaired by a senior adviser from Samsung Electronics and the head of the Ministry of Science, which will make recommendations in September on strategies to retain local talent and attract international experts.

In parallel, the Ministry of Science and Technology announced the Sejong Science Fellowship Program to encourage outstanding researchers to return home, and expanded its scope to attract experts from abroad. Seoul National University is also preparing to reform its salary mechanism, shifting from seniority to performance, to increase competitiveness.

In particular, the government has implemented the K-Tech Pass fast-track residency visa since July. This program is for high-tech talents, allowing them to quickly receive F-2 visas within two weeks, along with many incentives on education, housing, taxes and long-term settlement opportunities. This is an effort to make Korea a more attractive destination on the global science map.

Despite the strong measures being implemented, many experts warn that the brain drain is deep-rooted and cannot be solved in the short term. The most important factor remains improving the working environment, increasing research autonomy and building an open scientific community where researchers feel they have a long-term future.

A quantum physics professor in Seoul revealed: “I receive 3-4 invitations from China every month, with salaries of nearly 600,000 USD a year and research budgets dozens of times higher than in Korea. Obviously, in a globally competitive environment, the attraction of finance and research has created great pressure on the domestic system.”

According to University World News

Source: https://giaoducthoidai.vn/han-quoc-doi-pho-chay-mau-chat-xam-trong-khoa-hoc-post749474.html