S. Korea to inject $37m in joint R&D projects with Czech Republic

PRAGUE -- South Korea is poised to inject $37 million in joint research and development projects with the Czech Republic in the next decade, according to President Yoon Suk Yeol's office on Friday.

Park Sang-ook, senior presidential secretary for science and technology, told reporters in a briefing in Prague that Seoul's estimated annual R&D budget spending will translate into a 20-fold surge compared with the level in the past from 1995 to 2015.

Park added that the spending will go to joint science projects of Seoul and Prague in the fields of biotechnology, chemicals, aviation, space, atomic energy, artificial intelligence, digital and quantum technology, among others.

According to Yoon's office, the focus of the joint projects will shift from biotech and chemicals to artificial intelligence, nuclear energy and hydrogen, but said Seoul has yet to determine the degree of spending on each field.

The Czech government will correspond with South Korea's budget spending, according to Seoul. But an official of the presidential office said on condition of anonymity that Seoul has not stipulated the Czech counterpart's mandate for the funding to joint science projects.

The plan was briefed during a working lunch between President Yoon and Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala at Liechtenstein Palace in Prague.

Park also said Seoul and Prague will revive the regular high-level dialogue for science and technology. The last dialogue took place in 2015.