Yoon pledges to create knowledge-sharing platform among quantum experts

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, center, and John Francis Clauser, the Nobel Laureate in Physics 2022, left, are applauding at the Quantum Korea 2023 held in Seoul, on June 27. [Photo by Lee Seung-hwan]

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol joined a meeting of future paths of quantum science and technology on Tuesday and met the world’s renowned scholars, including John Francis Clauser, the Nobel Laureate in Physics 2022.

Also in attendance were Charles H. Bennett, famous for developing the first quantum cryptography system and honored with the ‘Wolf Prize’ and ‘Breakthrough Prize,’ as well as Choi Soon-won, a Korean professor from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), who devised a method to verify the accuracy and reliability of quantum computers.

In the meeting held on the sidelines of Quantum Korea 2023, Yoon stressed that South Korea will create a platform for researchers in quantum science to gather the capabilities that are scattered around the world to create economic value.

The statements suggest an initiative South Korea will take to lead in creating a hub for quantum experts in South Korea, recognizing the pivotal role of quantum science and technology as a potential game changer in future industries such as computing, communication, and sensing.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Science and ICT unveiled a strategy that aims to invest 3 trillion won ($2.3 billion) by 2035. The strategy, called the Korea Quantum Science and Technology Strategy, focuses on achieving a technology level equivalent to 85 percent of that of leading countries and developing a 1000-qubit quantum computer using the technology developed by Korean scientists. To that end, the ministry intends to expand the number of experts in quantum technology to 2,500 from the current 380 by 2035.