The field of basic science or curiosity-driven research is growing in Korea, but there is
still much room for improvement.
Experts say limited funding and lack of job security is putting off a new generation of
brilliant and promising minds... those who could become world class scientists.
Our Kwon Jang-ho went out to take the pulse on the ground... in the final of our four
part special feature on blue sky research.
This is Gyeonggi Science High School and these students are in the midst of a biology experiment.
The school is one of 20 public high schools around the country that specialize in natural
sciences for gifted children.
The schools were launched to provide an environment where scientific curiosity can be nurtured,...
helping Korea to produce some leading scientists in the process.
"I've liked math and sciences since I was young.
Now, I'm really enjoying biology and chemistry the more I study them.
There's so much to learn about the world, and I want to learn more about all the things
I am curious about by becoming a scientist."
"Every since I was young, I have dreamed about winning a Nobel Prize.
It's the biggest prize in science, and it would be an amazing honor.
It's a dream I keep close to my heart."
"Many of these students have dreams of becoming world-famous scientists, and a school like
this, with these facilities, can be one of the best places for them to start.
But unfortunately, in many cases it doesn't turn out that way."
At the country's four top science high schools, nearly 10-percent of graduates choose to study
medicine at university, rather than carry on with natural sciences.
That number is significantly higher with some of the most gifted.
Of those that took part in international science competitions, over 40-percent opt for medical
school.
To find out why so many students decide not to carry on with studying basic sciences,
we met with some medical students who graduated from science high schools.
They said that although they enjoyed their time in high school, financial and societal
pressure required that they give up their dreams of becoming scientists.
"I kept hearing in the news that funding for scientific research in Korea was lacking.
I asked around, and the more I looked into it, the more it just seemed it wouldn't be
worth as much as the effort that I would have had to put in to it."
"I think a lot of Korean parents think that it's safer to make money as a doctor, and
because they want their children to be better off, it's those financial reasons that play
a big role."
Here at the Center for Neuroscience Imaging Research at Sungkyunkwan University, Park
Jin-yong is one scientist who never gave up on research and 6 months ago joined one of
the top labs in the country.
But it hasn't been easy.
He's seen peers come and go, and he's also already concerned about his future.
"I want to carry on and move up, but there's a lot of competition.
Salary is also an issue.
I'm also not married yet, but I feel like I'll have to choose a path that offers better
financial stability when I get married."
It's a familiar story to Park's boss, Professor Kim Seong-gi.
"The facilities and funding are not bad in Korea, but it's the culture that needs to
change.
Investors are always looking for quick and measurable results.
The Korean science community is also very closed off in Korea, making it very difficult
for young scientists to get into."
Korea actually has the highest amount of research and development funding in relation to GDP
among OECD countries, but less than 6 percent goes toward basic science research.
The government has said it will increase the current funding by 36-percent by 2018, and
promised to do more to try and tackle the issue.
"With the advent of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, society is changing rapidly, and
it's becoming harder to forecast which industries will find success and breakthroughs.
Therefore, we recognize the need to support more diverse basic science research and better
prepare for whatever the future brings."
If basic science is to flourish in Korea, long-term stability backed by consistent funding
is needed to remake it into a viable and secure career, making it easier for more curious
young minds to find their way to their dream job of becoming a scientist.
Kwon Jang-ho, Arirang News.