SEOUL– President Yoon Suk-yeol pledged Friday to invest 25 trillion won (US$17.6 billion) over five years in developing 12 “national strategic skills,” such as those related to semiconductors and rechargeable batteries, to help put South Korea ahead of the rest of the world.

Yoon made the remark as he presided over the first meeting of the Presidential Advisory Council on Science and Technology since his inauguration, calling science and technology the “source” of economic and industrial growth.

“Based on our plans to foster national strategic skills, which we are announcing today, we must take a bigger leap to become a science and technology powerhouse,” he said at the meeting held at the presidential office.

“We will invest over 25 trillion won over the next five years in R&D for the national strategic skills, secure super-first-class and super-leading skills, and produce concrete results by pursuing public-private projects in the national strategic skills,” he added.

The 12 skills adopted at the meeting include those related to semiconductors and displays, rechargeable batteries, advanced mobility, next generation nuclear power, and advanced biology.

The presidential office said that by fostering such skills South Korea is expected to emerge as one of the world’s top five technological powerhouses.

“If we live well and study properly, this will increase freedoms for the people of the Republic of Korea and also of the world,” Yoon said. “Science and technology are directly linked to the expansion of such freedoms.”

Source: Yonhap News Agency