In the age of technological hegemony, sovereignty depends on science and technology

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In the age of technological hegemony, sovereignty depends on science and technology

Published: 20 May. 2025, 00:03 Updated: 19 May. 2025, 19:17

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Kim Young-sik

The author is the chairman of the National Research Council of Science & Technology.

There has never been a time when the term “technological hegemony” has sounded more urgent. Science and technology are no longer confined to industrial applications. They have become a critical axis influencing diplomacy, security, the economy and the very survival of nations. Countries that lead in technology define new global standards, while those that lag must conform.

This dynamic was on full display at MWC 2025 held recently in Barcelona. Chinese state-owned tech giant Huawei introduced an artificial intelligence-based smart city solution that integrates urban infrastructure — from education and transportation to energy and public safety — into a single network for real-time control. With the rise of AI, technology is no longer merely a tool for productivity. It has become an instrument of governance and a symbol of power.

People visit the booth of Huawei at the MWC 2025 in Barcelona on March 3. More than 300 Chinese firms, including China Mobile, China Unicom, China Telecom, Huawei, ZTE, Lenovo and Xiaomi, are showcasing their latest innovations. [XINHUA/YONHAP]

Huawei’s capabilities are no accident. China has made “technological rise” a national strategy, setting a clear long-term goal of becoming a scientific superpower by 2049, the centennial of the People’s Republic. In 2025, China’s total R&D investment is expected to reach 800 trillion won ($576.4 billion). The country leads the world in research personnel and in the number of citations for scientific papers. According to the 2024 Nature Index, eight of the world’s top 10 research universities are now in China — a remarkable leap from just one, Peking University, a decade ago.

This transformation is rooted in human capital. Through programs like the Thousand Talents Plan and the Ten Thousand Talents Plan, China aggressively recruited top scholars and key researchers from around the world. The former offered high salaries, housing and research funding to lure elite professionals back to China. The latter expanded support to include young scientists and applied technology experts. As a result, China rapidly assembled a pool of thousands of globally competitive researchers, laying the foundation for its quest for technological dominance.

Korea, by contrast, faces a dual crisis: fierce external competition and an internal demographic decline. Over the past decade, approximately 340,000 STEM professionals have left Korea, and the outflow of master’s and Ph.D.-level talent is accelerating. The working-age population continues to shrink, and local universities and research institutes fear the collapse of their talent pipelines. Infrastructure alone is meaningless without the human resources to sustain it — technological sovereignty cannot be declared in a vacuum.

In today’s world, where technology functions as a form of national defense, dependency is increasingly invisible. The rapid rise of China evokes historical memories of Korea’s subjugation to Ming and Qing rule, culminating in the national humiliation of the 1636 Manchu invasion. Technological dependence erodes sovereignty by tethering nations to foreign standards and platforms. Once a gap in technological capabilities emerges, catching up becomes exponentially more difficult, and the consequences compound quickly.

In the past, military strength protected national sovereignty. Today, that role belongs to science and technology. Everything from citizens’ data and industrial competitiveness to future employment depends on technological capabilities. Technological sovereignty is not a lofty ideal — it is a prerequisite for economic recovery, national autonomy and security. If Korea rises to this challenge, the crisis may yet become an opportunity.

The government must go beyond short-term spending and implement consistent, long-range science and technology policies. The scientific community, in turn, must deliver tangible results that earn public trust while strengthening cooperation with the private sector to enhance Korea’s technological competitiveness. Korea should also expand international cooperation in science diplomacy and secure influence in strategic sectors such as semiconductors, AI, and biotechnology.

This photo taken on March 20 shows an exterior view of the National Multimode Trans-Scale Biomedical Imaging Center in Beijing. Beginning construction in 2019, the center was jointly initiated by Peking University and the Institute of Biophysics, and built with several research institutions including Harbin Institute of Technology and the University of Science and Technology of China, with a total investment of 1.717 billion yuan ($237 million). [XINHUA/YONHAP]

To nurture top talent, Korea must reform its education system to better link universities with industry and launch national initiatives to bring back skilled professionals who have gone abroad. Without a concerted effort to invest in people, no amount of infrastructure will secure the country’s technological future.

Science and technology have become central to politics and are now a matter of national survival. What Korea needs is consistent policymaking, bold investment in talent and unified execution across the government and society.

Article 1 of the Constitution of Korea states, “Sovereignty resides in the people, and all state authority emanates from the people.” Yet without technological sovereignty, the broader concept of national sovereignty is at risk. A technologically weak state cannot defend its freedom, security or economic independence.

Technological sovereignty is not a rhetorical flourish. It is a condition for survival, and it must be won through strategy and action. Now is the time to rebuild Korea’s future — through science.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.