Science ministry launches rapid R&D system to tackle national emergencies

The Ministry of Science and ICT said July 30 it is launching a rapid-response research and development system to address unforeseen national emergencies, selecting four initial projects. The move aims to overcome limitations in the existing state R&D framework, which relies on pre-planned budgets from the previous year and struggles to react quickly to sudden technological shifts or public safety threats.

Under the new inter-ministerial scheme, the government will identify urgent needs across various agencies and allocate funds immediately. The first four projects reflect recent crises, including advanced cyberattacks linked to frontier artificial intelligence models in April 2026 and large-scale personal information leaks.

To counter these digital threats, the ministry will develop technologies to verify security vulnerabilities and respond to sophisticated attacks, while the Personal Information Protection Commission will secure tools for rapidly analyzing data breaches. The portfolio also addresses biological and industrial risks following specific incidents earlier this year.

In response to a cluster infection of the Andes variant hantavirus overseas in May 2026, the ministry and the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency will pursue AI-based discovery of vaccine candidates and rapid diagnostic techniques for new pathogens. Additionally, the Ministry of Climate Change and Energy will develop chemical accident prediction technology using sensor-based systems, prompted by leakage accidents at the Ulsan Industrial Complex in April 2026.

Park In-kyu, head of the Office for Science and Technology Innovation at the ministry, emphasized the necessity of speed. "Rapid technological response is paramount for national agendas that are difficult to predict," Park said. He added that the government plans to strengthen the system through inter-ministerial cooperation to ensure needed technologies are developed and applied in a timely manner.

The ministry stated it will continue to identify and support necessary projects whenever national emergencies arise or when related ministries submit requests.