[LETTERS TO THE EDITOR]Science policy is poor

The government investment in science technology has sharply increased since the early 1990s, and by 2002 it ranked between seventh and eighth in the world.
The Korean government’s investment in science was nearly equal to all research and development funds appropriated by the British government. However, I cannot help but question if Korea’s research and development standard has actually improved to become a technology leader when looking at the field conditions of labs. Long-term strategy is important in the research and development , but it seems the government is not making proper policy.
Nearly two years have passed since the new administration came into office, and the government has not presented any proper reports but focuses only on public relations. Also, scientists and technicians are entirely ignored by government policymakers.
Korea’s budget for research and development is not at all small compared to other countries. The problem is that there is a lack of long-term strategies and overall inefficiency.

by Kim Jung-hyun